Victor Motlop

“I am a member of the ‘Wagadagam’ tribe and grew up in Bamaga. Most of my schooling was done in Bamaga, where one of my favourite subjects was art. This also became my hobby. After leaving school I stayed in Bamaga to gain experience in arts and crafts, specializing in painting, woodcarving and weaving.
After leaving school I had a job as a cray fisherman, trocus diver and carpenter. I teamed up with Dennis Nona and joined the newly formed Mualgau Minnaral Artist group on Moa Island, where I learned to express my traditional culture through linocuts and limited edition prints.
My culture and day-to-day living was passed down to me from generation to generation and I am proud to display some of this culture in my art and crafts.”
Subject & Themes
Melanesian influence derived from traditional wood-carving experiences on Badu Island, He is inspired by coastal life and family traditions.
Collections
Artbank, Sydney NSW
Australian National Gallery, Sydney NSW
Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns Qld.
The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Vic.
Group Exhibitions
2013 Malu Minar (Sea Pattern) Art of the Torres Strait, Te Manawa Art Gallery, Palmerston North, NZ
2012 Malu Minar (Sea Pattern) Art of the Torres Strait, Pataka Museum and Gallery, Porirua City, NZ
2012 Malu Minar (Sea Pattern) Art of the Torres Strait, The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatu Art Gallery Nelson, NZ
2011 Malu Minar (Sea Pattern) Art of the Torres Strait, Southland Museum and Gallery, Invercargill NZ
2011 Malu Minar (Sea Pattern) Art of the Torres Strait, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns
2010 Malu Minar (Sea Pattern) Art of the Torres Strait, Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia
2007 – 2009 Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Gelam My Son, DFAT Travelling Exhibition: Holiday Inn, Port Moresby PNG; Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Noumea New Caledonia; Lycée Agricole de Pouembout, in the Northern Province, Noumea New Caledonia; St James Theatre, Wellington New Zealand; Monument Books, Ban Mixay, Chantabouly District, Vientiane, Laos; Youth Cultural House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Viet Art Centre, Hanoi, Vietnam; Yuchengco Museum, Manila, Philippines; The National Gallery, Phranakom, Bangkok, Thailand; The National Museum, Jakarta, Indonesia; Sha Tin Community Hall, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China; National Modern Art Gallery, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Oulim Nuri Arts Complex, Seoul South Korea; Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology, Taipei Taiwan; Pegge Hopper Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii; UN Mission Lobby, New York USA; Kluge-Ruge Collection University of Virginia, Charlottesville USA; Museum of Print History, Houston USA; Santiago Chile; Mexico City Mexico; Brasilia Brazil; Buenos Aires Argentina; Chicago USA
2001 – 2004 Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Gelam My Son, Travelling Exhibition. Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW; Alcheringa Gallery, Victoria, BC, Canada; Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, UK; Brisbane City Gallery, Brisbane, Qld; Damien Minton Gallery, Newcastle, NSW; Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra, ACT; Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Vic; New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale, NSW; Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, NSW; Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Stanthorpe, Qld; Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA; Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo Vic; Mildura Arts Centre, Mildura, Vic; Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga, NSW; Manly Art Gallery, Manly, NSW; Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Toowoomba, Qld; Noosa Regional Art Gallery, Tewantin, Qld; Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns, Qld.
2004 Gelam Nguzu Kazi Gelam My Son, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Thursday Island, QLD