The Wire

He lists “anything by Shikaya” as his favourite music, and he works in public sector health. Shaun Edwards Kalk does not fit the stereotypes of an Indigenous Australian artist. He’s a young Kokoberrin man, born in Mareeba and schooled in Cairns. Shaun’s great grandfather has chosen him to be the carrier of Kokoberrin culture, and to be given the bush skills to look after country and speak for it. But many would says Shaun’s country also speaks through his paintings, which depict customary lore and creation stories about important family sites within the Kokoberrin estate. And he’s one of a group of artists that want to pool the money raised by their work to buy back traditional lands. While his paintings are held in many public and private Australian collections, Shaun’s first solo art exhibition has just opened at the Ochre Gallery in Collingwood. In true style, Shaun organized for elders from his community to appear via satellite link at his exhibition opening… and he explain the significance of their involvement.