Wik & Kugu Arts Centre

Leigh Namponan

Australia

D.O.B: 02/03/1965

Leigh Namponan was born in 1965 and raised in his hometown of Aurukun. He is the second eldest of eight children born to Angus Namponan and Chrissie Peemuggina. Leigh is a member of the Apalech Ceremonial Clan with patrilineal ties to the estate of Warpang, just inland from Cape Keerweer.

Leigh has been a practising artist for over 25 years. He works across a range of media including sculpture and painting. In this presentation, Leigh has created a series of Apalech Saltwater paintings on discarded sheet iron, a commonly found material around the Country of Aurukun since the early 1900s. The white dots that feature on his work are derivative of the ceremonial markings that belong to the Apalech Ceremony. Each painting depicts the ancient battle between saltwater and freshwater that rages each year during the monsoonal season. Leigh’s work draws heavily on his ceremonial identity and experience as a contract worker on the homelands of the Southern Wik People.