Brian RobinsonBrian Robinson 

Brian Robinson is of the Kala Lagaw Ya and Wuthathi language groups of the Torres Strait.

Brian Robinson (b.1973) is of the Kala Lagaw Ya and Wuthathi language groups of Zenadth Kes - his ancestral lineage extends back to the Maluyligal people from the Western Islands of Zenadth Kes and the Wuthathi people from the silicon sand dunes at Shelburne Bay on the eastern side of Cape York Peninsula. Born on Waiben (Thursday Island) and now Cairns-based, Brian is known for his printmaking and public sculptures in which he uses a variety of techniques to produce bold, innovative and distinctive works.

Robinson’s work has contributed significantly to his home environs of Cairns through a number of major public art installations including his monumental and iconic stainless steel woven sculptures installed on the Cairns Esplanade in 2003. Robinson’s art reflects the tropical marine environment surrounding Waiben (Thursday Island), in Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait), and the inhabitants of that environment. It is an essential part of his life and culture, imbued with the customs, traditions and lifestyles of the Torres Strait Islander peoples. The animals from ancestral stories and their presence today are also an integral feature of Robinson’s work.

His work has featured in many exhibitions nationally and overseas, including in Berlin, Noumea, Washington DC and New York City. Brian’s work is held in major collections including National Gallery of Australia; National Gallery of Victoria; National Museum of Australia; the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art; Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Noumea, New Caledonia; the Australian National Maritime Museum; and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, Virginia, USA.