Tortoise - Thomas Toikalkin

Kank Inum – Nink Inum, meaning Old Way – New Way, was a collaborative art project that connected the traditions of the Aurukun community with contemporary sculpture practices. The project brought together artists from the Wik and Kugu Art and Craft Centre, the Brisbane-based foundry Urban Art Projects (UAP), and support from the Queensland Government.

The project explored how traditional Aurukun carving could evolve using new materials and techniques. Aurukun artists were widely recognised for their ceremonial wooden sculptures, which carried stories of ancestral beings, country, and cultural knowledge. Through this project, these forms were translated into metal cast sculptures, creating works that were stronger, more durable, and able to be displayed in new environments such as galleries and public spaces.

Aurukun is a small community on the western side of Cape York Peninsula with a population of about 1100 people. The community speaks several Wik languages and is made up of five clan groups whose cultural knowledge has been passed down through generations.

Despite historical pressures that tried to disrupt traditional culture, Aurukun artists continued to maintain their cultural practices. Master carvers created sculptures that represented ancestral stories, ceremonial objects, and important sites connected to the land.

Through Kank Inum – Nink Inum, the project combined the old ways of storytelling and carving with new artistic methods and materials. It celebrated the strength of Aurukun culture while allowing artists to expand their practice and share their stories with wider audiences.