Club DanceTommy Pau Club Dance 2014, Linocut Print, Dutch Aquatint Ink, Dutch Etching Paper, 30cm (h) x 20cm (w) This piece is a part of a collection of eight linocut prints which illustrate the various dance style performed in the eastern Torres Strait Islands entitled, Puleb: Figures used to depict dance style performed in the eastern Torres Strait. The figures depicted are used to show the verious dance styles, objects used and costumes. These traditional

Tommy Pau

Club Dance

2014, Linocut Print, Dutch Aquatint Ink, Dutch Etching Paper, 30cm (h) x 20cm (w)

This piece is a part of a collection of eight linocut prints which illustrate the various dance style performed in the eastern Torres Strait Islands entitled, Puleb: Figures used to depict dance style performed in the eastern Torres Strait. 

The figures depicted are used to show the verious dance styles, objects used and costumes. These traditional figures are called Puleb. Pulebs are traditionally carved, three dimensional objects, usually human, chiselled out of volcanic rock.  These are imbued with a spirit by a Maide Le (sorcery) for protection, used as charm, or the intermediary between the natural and spiritual world.  

Club Dance depicts the use of the Gabba Gabba, a club to communicate stories of battles.

Tommy Pau is descendent of the Eastern Torres Strait Islands, his heritage is Australian Aboriginal, Papua New Guinea, Pacific Islander and Asian. He was born in Guramilbarra/Townsville, North Queensland and lived there as an infant before relocating to Meeanjin/Brisbane, Ti/Thursday Island, Waiben and Gimuy/Cairns. Pau considers himself an artist who is Indigenous, not as an Indigenous artist. His wide ranging professional practice includes sculpture, carving, printmaking, installation work, digital and multimedia, and anything that grabs his interest. He also writes poetry.