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Opening in June, Black Bamboo: Contemporary Bamboo Furniture Design From Mer marks the exciting conclusion of a series of workshops held with invited artists and designers from the Eastern Torres Strait island of Mer, also known as Murray Island. Using black bamboo – a culturally significant material that has been specially prepared in saltwater for several months – Meriam designers intricately crafted cabinets and furniture that are imbued with important Meriam stories. Drawing inspiration from their tiny island home, the artists and designers have produced a powerful collection of sustainable contemporary furniture.
Black Bamboo: Contemporary Bamboo Furniture Design From Mer, four collaborative standing cabinets by Meriam Elders, artists and community members participating in the Black Bamboo design and maker workshop 2019
Simeon Noah, Wuni Wuni Tapau-Bon, Frank Kaigey, Robert Meddy Kaigey, unknown, Aven Noah Snr, Aven Noah Jnr, Ray Noah, during bamboo harvest 2018, digital image. Image courtesy and © Damien Wright Studios
Arti, collaborative standing cabinet by Meriam Elders, artists and community members participating in the Black Bamboo design and maker workshop 2019. Photography courtesy NGV
Black Bamboo: Contemporary Bamboo Furniture Design From Mer, artists Bob Kevin Kaigey, Meddy Robert Kaigey and James Samuel Blanco working on the collaborative seating design Sik Utem (Sleeping bed). Photography courtesy NGV
Black Bamboo: Contemporary Bamboo Furniture Design From Mer is a shared initiative between the Cairns Art Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, and Thursday Island’s Gab Titui Cultural Centre, with the support of Mer Gedkem Le (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation RNTBC and Sea Swift.
The Cairns Art Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, names or voices of deceased persons in photographs, film or text.
