Wik & Kugu - Aurukun Art Centre
Located in the remote community of Aurukun on the west coast of Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, Wik & Kugu Arts Centre is a community-owned and governed social enterprise hosted by the Aurukun Shire Council. The Centre services the five Clans who live in Aurukun and exists to celebrate and encourage contemporary cultural expression through the arts. The Centre’s primary function is the commercial production of fine art that provides sustainable cultural and economic opportunities for over 20 established and emerging artists. The cultural precinct of Wik & Kugu includes a men’s workshop and a women’s painting studio.
Aurukun’s five Ceremonial Clan groups all have their own unique histories and understanding of the Land as well as interlinked connections with other Clans. There are no simple political linguistic groups in Aurukun. The people do own, by right of Clan birth and Country, a recognised variety of languages. With a population of 1200 people, Aurukun is home to 1 of only 12 Traditional Aboriginal Language’s left in Australia. Wik-Mungkan, the lingua franca of the community, is considered the only “living and thriving” Traditional Aboriginal Language left in Queensland spoken as a first language by every generation at home (AIATSIS 2020).
Courtesy of Wik & Kugu - Aurukun Art Centre
Artworks
Artist Profile/s
Keith Wikmunea
Keith Wikmunea was born in 1967 in Aurukun. He was raised in Aurukun by his parents. Keith is from the Language group Wik-Alken (mother’s side) and Wik-Mungkan (father’s side). His totems are the White Cookatoo, Goanna from his father’s side and the Galah and Frilled-neck lizard from this mother’s side. Keith’s country is Kencherang (father’s side) which is south from Aurukun. There’s a large freshwater lagoon there. During the wet season the saltwater comes up the creek during the high tides. “There is one large creek that comes into that country which splits out into my mother’s country called Ti-tree”. When the freshwater breaks out in the wet season it joins with the creek at Kencherang and connects to the saltwater. Keith belongs to the Apalech Clan from his father’s side. His mother’s side is the Winchanam Clan. As an artist, Keith is passionate about passing on his creative and cultural knowledge to future generations. His vision is for Wik and Kugu people to keep their culture strong and alive.
Courtesy of Wik & Kugu - Aurukun Art Centre