Delmar Gallery proudly presents Ulada Ikya Ami (Listening to Beforetime Stories) by Teho Ropeyarn. Walk through the interactive exhibition in the virtual gallery, zoom in and click on images and video to hear the artist talking about his work.
Teho Ropeyarn is a Cairns-based artist and curator from the Injinoo community of Northern Cape York Peninsula.
Through a series of large-scale vinylcut prints and installation, “Ulada Ikya Ami (Listening to Beforetime Stories)” recounts the history of the four clans that came together at Injinoo – the Gudang, Angkamuthi, Yadhaykana and Atambaya nations.
It traces this history in three parts: “Ulada (Beforetime)”, referring to ancestral records evidenced in rock art and knowledge passed down through creation stories; “Umany (European Colonisation)”, remembered by the community as a period of trauma and conflict with atrocities perpetrated by the colonial police magistrates; and “Uta (Later On)”, when the four clan groups reconciled in the 1900s and settled in Injinoo, and where today they maintain cultural connections, language and knowledge.
Underpinning the exhibition is three years’ research by the artist, accompanying Elders on Country and recording old and traditional stories in order to preserve them for future generations.
The exhibition was scheduled to be held at Delmar Gallery as part of Trinity Grammar’s artist-in-residence program. It was first presented by the artist at Kick Arts Contemporary in Cairns.
Image: Teho Ropeyarn, Uyinthayn 2017, mixed media vinylcut print on 300gsm hahnemühle paper, 184 x 110cm, edition of 10. Printer: Justin Majid.
