About Badu Art Centre
Badu Art is created with love, commitment and a quiet dedication to our chosen craft. We work in a range of visual and creative mediums including printmaking, etching, textiles, jewellery, and carving.
Reflecting our strong cultural traditions and our relationships with the natural world, our artwork expresses our love and dedication to the ocean, to our Island and all of its creatures. We share our relationship with the four winds of Zenadth Kes, the rain, earth, skies, stars and the sun.
To see our art is to be given direct access to another world; a world powerfully alive with myths and stories and ancient traditions that we continue to cherish and share.
Badu is a special place, and this specialness - this 'Aislan Kustom' can be felt in all we do here.
Our mission
is to create and provide opportunity for Mura Badulgal (Badu Island people) to express their Art and in doing so increase and strengthen the awareness of Badu Island Culture.
Badu Island has great creative depth. Some of its artists are known and some are emerging into the public arena. All of their work is powerful.
Badu is where internationally recognised Alick Tipoti calls home - along with other artists including Jomen Nona, Joseph Au, Job Kusu, Laurie Nona, Tipoti Nona, Weldon Matasia, Zac Gaidan, Tala Gaidan, Ral Laza, Sarah Gaidan, Taum Rueben and Iona Gaidan (Senior). Of these people - Alick Tipoti, Laurie Nona and Joseph Au were pivotal - together with the community, in establishing Badu Art Centre.
Future Plans
Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh has a wealth of plans for the next 3-4 years, including:
- Working with our partners, Architects Without Frontiers, on the design for a new Art Centre andf Keeping Place
- Digital Animation Workshops with Leigh Harris and Indigenous Design Lab, Cairns
- Textile workshops with Delvene Cockatoo Collins and Cath Wright
- IACA Rise Skills Development Training for Arts Workers
- Increase particpation and use of the facilities with a regular program of local exhibitions and events
- Increase the skills base of all artists
- Embed Kalaw Lagaw Ya throughout our work
- Increase elder engagement
- Build our product lines to include a range of unique, handmade women's wear
- Exhibit superb quality work nationally and internationally
- Increase employment opportunities for artists in the Art Centre - creating jobs, skills development and pathways for success on Country.
Sales
We encourage you to purchase directly from the Art Centre. This ensures the authenticity and provenance of the artwork, and, importantly, maximises the income to the artist by avoiding the additional commission (up to 40%) taken by galleries and secondary sellers.
All artworks have a certificate of authenticity that explains the cultural significance of the work and includes a unique catalogue number, as well as a biography of the artist.
Visiting the Island
Visitors are welcome to visit Badu Art Centre and Badu Island but it is important to receive permission from the Chair of the Native Title Body (Mura Badhulgal) on Badu. We are happy to pass your application to visit the island onto Native Title and save you some additional emails and or phone calls.
Please email your request, together with an informal sentence or two on why you want to visit - where you might stay (or if you need advice on that just ask) and we will help you out.
Funding Bodies
We are grateful for the support of the Australian Governement through Creative Australia, the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and the Torres Strait Regional Authroity for supporting the cultural expression of Mura Badulagal through Badu Art Centre.
Status
Badu Art Centre is an Indigenous Corporation, first registered in December 2009 with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act). The Indigenous Corporation Number (ICN) is 7302 and the Australian Business Number (ABN) is 40 522 947 582.
Queries
If you have any questions about Badu art or the Art Centre, please contact our General Manager, Harriet Gaffney at: info@baduartcentre.com.au
