PAUL BONG
Born: 1963, Cairns, QLD
Lives: Innisfail
Cultural group: Yidinji
“I grew up in the Yattee area not far from Wright Creek in Far North Queensland. I had to regain the stories and culture of the Yindji people "My People" because as the European settlements evolved my people my Culture and our ways became silenced. So my grandmother, who spoke the ‘Yidiny’ language taught me stories and legends about the rainforest and it's ways from the foods, animals to the young warriors, also about the special places such as Babinda Boulders and up to the mighty Gordonvale Pyramid. These stories have given me the inspiration to help Recreate & incorporate the traditional designs with modern techniques which has each picture complementing the paper it has been printed on.
EDUCATION
1992-1994 Associate Diploma Indigenous Art Studies, Tropical North Queensland TAFE Cairns.
QUALIFICATIONS
Graduate student workshops/courses: • Etching – Lithography – Printmaking • Cultural Studies – History & Theory • Use and Respect Copy Rights • Printmaking Techniques • Experiment Pottery & Kiln Operations • Drawing Techniques – Drawing 1-2. • Painting with Acrylics & Oils Paintings 1-2. • Curator –Textile Materials and Resources in Batik 1-2. • Silk Dye Screen Printing • Dark Room knowledge. • Development in Marketing Manager • Development in illustration
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2016-2018 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns (Paul Bong – Excellence category – Highly
Commended in
2017) 2016 ‘Murrifactive Shield Studies’, FireWorks Gallery, Brisbane
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 Undercurrent cook 250th Anniversary
2020 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair
2020 Cairns Regional Collectors Exhibition
2019 Redlyns Council Private Collections
2019 Collectors Exhibition
2019 National Museum Canberra
2018 ‘Punch the Clock’, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
2017 Canopy Arts Cairns Indigenous Art Fair
2015 Cairns Regional Gallery, Umi Art, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
2014 ‘Stories from Home: Looking Back’, Canopy Art Centre, Cairns. ‘Murrifactive Shield Studies’, Umi Art Cairns)
2013 INKFEST Ink Masters Cairns Inc. Print Biennale, Tanks Art Centre.
2013 ‘Inside / Outside: Mapping Personal Journey’, Inkmasters Touring Exhibition, Artslink Queensland to selected Queensland Galleries. 2011- 12 Artist Cooperative Gallery Orchid Plaza, Cairns with Seith Fourmile, Billy Missi.
2004 ‘Brothers in Art’ collaboration with John Mast at Banggu Minjaarni with FNQ TAFE.
2003 ‘Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest’, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.
1998/1999 International Gift Fair Touring selected collaborative glass works with Judith Bohm-Parr of Studio8 Innisfail in Qld and around Australia.
1994 Graduating Student Exhibition, Banggau Minjaani Art Gallery, Cairns TAFE. Student Exhibition, Pacific Hotel Cairns, and Marina Mirage Port Douglas.
PUBLICATIONS
2020 Cairns Publication Newspaper
2020 ABC Radio Bumma Bippra
2018 ABC/ Raidio Station
2016 Fair fax Syndication National Museum Australia Canberra.
2016 Canberra Times.
2016 The Australian News Paper.
2016 ABC TV – Behind the Shield.
2015 National Museum Canberra.
2015 Creative Cowboys Films.
2003 Were, Ian, ‘Paul Bong (Bindur-Billin)’ in Seear, Lynne, Gunning, Judy, Were, Ian, (eds). ‘Story Place: Indigenous art of Cape York and the Rainforest’, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane,2003, p.176
RESIDENCIES
2019 Canberra Glass Factory
2014 Gorman House Art Centre + Megalo Print Workshop Canberra.
1992 Studio One Inc, Canberra - vinyl cut relief printing, etching & stone lithography with master printer Theo Tremblay
COMMISSIONS
2018 JCU Building - Interior Art
2019 Art On Esplanade Cairns
2017 ‘Rainforest Shields’ Public Art Commission (5 shields), Cairns Regional Council.
1998 Air New Zealand Collaborative Glass presentations slump/moulded dish with Studio8 Glass Workshop Fishery Falls Qld.
1994-1995 ‘Rainforest shield sculptures from North Queensland’ (8 shields, 1 sword), International Airport Departure Concourse, Brisbane Airport Corporation Limited.
GRANTS
2019 Thancoupie Bursary Fund
2018 Thancoupie Bursary Fund.
2015 Thancoupie Bursary Fund.
2014 Arts Studies QLD Professional Studies Grant to work in Canberra ACT COLLECTIONS National Museum of Australia,
Canberra Parliament House,
Brisbane Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Brisbane Airport Corporation Limited, Brisbane