ARONE MEEKS | 'Maroo bunji (brothers)' | Linocut Print

"This work tells the story of two brothers travelling through country to the coastline during the start of the wet season. This part of the story tells how they came upon a female water spirit, described in the work as water/wind design. In the background the black line is showing the path they took. Jointly displaying their manhood they threw spears and rocks to frighten the spirit away and continued safely on their way."

ARONE MEEKS (Kuku Midigi, 1957—2021) grew up near El Arish and Yarrabah, FNQ, although his Country is the area around Laura, Cape York. He completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at the City Art Institute in Sydney in 1984 and forged an impressive national and international career. He was a founding Member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, Sydney.

He was awarded the Cite des Arts Studio in Paris, completing residencies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Brazil, Boston, Sante Fe , India, Thailand, NZ, Cook Islands and NPA to name a few. Meeks' practice includes painting, sculpture, drawing and public art commissions as well as linoprints, etchings and monoprints. He has created well-known children's books including Enora and the Black Crane, which was awarded The UNICEF Children’s Book of the Year, awarded to him by Audrey Hepburn. Meeks was the first contemporary Aboriginal Artist to be commissioned by Australia Post to design a stamp in 1988, for the Bicentennial. His work appears in many national and international collections, both public and private.

His work is now managed by the Arone Meeks Estate.

ARONE MEEKS | 'Maroo Bunji (brothers)' | 2008 | Linocut Print | Paper size: 56 (h) x 38 (w) cm | Edition of 50