Aayu stone hop at Chilli Creek

SAMANTHA HOBSON
Born: 1981 Lockhart River QLD
Region: Eastern Cape York Peninsula
Language group: Kuuku Y’au
Lives and works: Lockhart River, QLD

Samantha Hobson is one of the founding members of the Lockhart River ‘Art Gang’ established in 1995. Many of the surrounding areas such as Claudie River, Quintell Beach, Chilli Beach, Temple Bay and the Great Barrier Reef are reflected in her painting. Although Samantha was based in Cairns for many years, she is now living back on country in Lockhart River. She regularly travels to Brisbane for workshops developing new bodies of artwork for exhibitions and commissions.

A feature of Samantha’s largely ‘expressionist’ painting practice is the use of coloured pigments with estapol. Samantha’s rich bodies of work feature the layering of bright marine and rainforest colours alongside distinctive (white) sand beach compositions. The artist has exhibited nationally and internationally with major works in the National Gallery of Victoria; QAGOMA alongside other Public and University institutions.

MICHAEL EATHER BIO
Born: 1963 Launceston, TAS
Education: 1980-83 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Sculpture Major) Visual Arts Teaching Tasmanian School of Art/University of Tasmania
Lives and Works: Brisbane, QLD

Born and educated in Tasmania Michael lived and travelled in the Northern Territory before settling in Brisbane. Since 1985 he has continued to work as a multi-disciplinary artist as well as a gallerist, project curator and consultant with extensive experiences across contemporary Indigenous art forms and issues. In 1990 he co-founded Campfire Group Projects aligned with collaboration and cross-cultural initiatives. He is Director of FireWorks Gallery, a commercial enterprise established in 1993. In 2019 he established Ghost Ship Studio in Newstead where he continues to make sculpture and painting including collaborative artworks. Michael has had 25 solo exhibitions and been involved in over 50 group exhibitions nationally and internationally.