About Pormpuraaw Art & Culture
Our Story
Pormpuraaw Art and Culture Centre was established in 2011 as a Not for Profit and has since become the heart of Pormpuraaw. A gathering place where all community members are welcomed and encouraged to participate.
Pormpuraaw artists have become world renowned for their works utilising recycled materials and ghost nets. Ghost nets are plastic fishing nets illegally dumped by commercial fishers at sea, killing fish, birds and other ocean life. Many of these animals, such as crocodiles, sea turtles and barramundi, have significant cultural importance to the people of Pormpuraaw. The artists collect the washed up ghost nets along the beach and create sculptures representing their totems.
Pormpuraaw artists are strongly influenced by their connection to Country, their clans, totems and stories passed down by Elders. Other mediums used to share these stories include paintings, editioned prints, wood carvings and our self published books.
Our Vision
The Art Centre is a flourishing community hub of Pormpuraaw, a safe and creative space where everybody is welcomed and encouraged.
As Pormpuraaw’s only export industry the Art Centre provides an opportunity for local artists to earn an income from their art practices. The Centre supports artists through showcasing and selling their works and it acts as a community ‘Keeping Place’ of local artefacts, photographs, language, stories, art, and other items that need to be preserved and available for future generations.
