Simon Norman

The art work of Simon Norman is contemporary yet ancient. It expounds cultural sincerity while expressing the artist’s interaction with today’s world.

‘My father was Thaayorre from this place. My mother was Kugu Muminh from the Upper Holroyd River. This means my father was a salt water man and my mother a freshwater woman.

Being a salt water person is best because there is more bush food like fish, pig, wallaby, goanna and sea turtle.

I was born in Pormpuraaw right where the new powerhouse is built. These were the ‘mission times’. The Anglican Church ran everything.

I had 8 brothers and 3 sisters from one mother and one father. We all lived in one big humpy. I ran around without clothes until I was 4 years old. We did not use money. We mostly worked for rations – sugar, tea, tobacco and flour brought in from Thursday Island.

I first saw money in the early 1970s after the government took over. I spent most of my childhood in the bush learning skills and traditional ways. I went to school when I wanted to. The teachers were mainly from the Torres Strait. They taught us English and mathematics, and at the same time, they were learning our language and ways.

My father worked in the local garden and my mother was a domestic worker. My grand father worked as a tracker for the police force. He would go walkabout and find clans still living in the bush. He arrested people who fought with spears or made trouble.  That is his country and you have to respect him or he will make trouble for you.

I was the first person in our community to learn the drive and get a licence. I was in the military for 7 years, and after that I worked in the cattle yards, garage, old store, carpentry, fencing and house painting. I was paid very little money until 1970, when I was given $7000 undertake Queensland Government’s ‘Lost Wages’ program.

Now I just work on my art. When I make art, I share my culture,  totems and stories I learned from my father. It makes me feel strong.’