David Boson: 180cm x 40cm Silk Chiffon

KUTHAI is a particular bush yam that grows throughout Zenadh Kes. It is a local favourite, eaten with turtle and dugong. Like taro, kuthai soaks up the animal fat, making it less fatty. Kuthai is harvested during the doldrums (saulala thonar or turtle mating season) when the winds drop off and hunting at sea is easier. There is always an abundance of fresh turtle and dugong at this time, so kuthai is important. When the root is about the size of a rockmelon it is dug up and cut. At the same time the small bulbs that grow out of the top are replanted. It takes two years to grow the root to a good size, but they can be left in the ground for more years and harvested when they are much bigger. Traditionally one area is harvested while the next one is still growing, so there is always a harvest for the following year. Enough is taken to last the whole wet season from December to March, when the wind picks up and the seas are too rough to hunt.

David Bosun Artist Statement 

David Bosun is a proud Mualgal man from Moa Island in Zenadth Kes (the Torres Strait). He is a pioneer of the Torres Strait printmaking tradition and the art movement that has emerged in the last 30 years. He was instrumental in setting up the Mualgal Minaral Artist Collective on Mua Island and the organisation that superseded it; Moa Arts, where he is a Board member and senior artist. 

He was part of Gelam Nguzu Kazi, the first-ever exhibition of contemporary Torres Strait Islander art which toured nationally and internationally. Since his residency and exhibition at the Kluge Ruhe Museum in Charlottesville, Virginia, David’s work has been recognised globally for its richness and spiritual depth. 

David was part of the first group of artists to view the Haddon Collection of Torres Strait artefacts, which was taken from Zenadth Kes to the British Museum in 1889. He was able to provide the museum with valuable cultural knowledge previously unknown to the Museum. 

David is deeply committed to preserving and promoting the unique cultural history of Zenadth Kes and educating non-indigenous people globally about the region. He is passionate about safeguarding and showcasing the customs and beliefs of his ancestors through the visual and performing arts.

David’s artwork has been used extensively on Reconciliation Action Plans, public artworks and key documents by government agencies, and most recently on the official uniforms of the Australian Olympic team, to help strengthen the pathway to reconciliation which he believes to be one of the greatest challenges we face as a nation. 

In recent years David has been a finalist in the NATSIAAs and the National Works on Paper Prize, and was highly commended in the Gab Titui Indigenous Art Awards in 2011 and 2018.

Moa Arts

Moa Arts is the trading name of Ngalmun Lagau Minaral, which means ‘our island’s design’.
We are an Indigenous owned and operated Art Centre on Mua Island in the western cluster of Zenadth Kes – the Torres Strait.
Through our artwork we keep Mualgal traditions and Zenadth Kes arts and culture strong for everyone.
Creative inspiration for the work at Moa Arts comes from Mualgal ancestral stories, totemic representation and connections to sea, land, sky and family. Mua’s artists don’t have to look far to be inspired. The island and its surrounding waters and reefs hold a diverse set of land and marine ecosystems with niches for many rare and unique species such as dugong and sea turtle.

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