Clan group: Meuram
Language group: Meriam Mir

Obery Sambo is from Mer (Murray Island), home to the Meriam people of the Eastern Torres Strait. Obery also has cultural and ancestral links to the neighbouring island of Dauar and Parem (Western Province of Papua New Guinea). He is both a performance and visual artist. He manages the dance group, Obery Productions, which comprises himself, his four sons, his three nephews and a niece. The group performs traditional Murray Island dances with an educational focus that encourages the maintenance and awareness of cultural identity, particularly amongst younger people. Whereas the artist’s artistic expression through dance is traditional, his work in visual media shows a contemporary interpretation based on tradition. The artist’s work has been acquired by several major institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, and the Cairns Regional Gallery.