Leading Torres Strait Islander artists, Alick Tipoti and Dennis Nona will see their work in major exhibitions in Berlin and London this month.

Nona’s monumental six metre linocut, ˜Yawarr’ has been included in the exhibition, ˜The Tropics, Views from the Middle of the Globe’ at the prestigious Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin.

In this exhibition around two hundred works from Africa, Asia, Oceania, Australia and tropical America from the collections of the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, which are among the world’s largest, are confronted with works by forty contemporary artists from Brazil, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia.

Over thirty of Tipoti’s works including his epic five metre linocut, ˜Adhikuyam’, will be seen in the artist’s first international solo show at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery, one of London’s leading commercial galleries. The work in this exhibition was also seen recently in galleries in all Australian capital cities.

Michael Kershaw of The Australian Art Print Network, who is the agent for both artists, says ˜this is a further step in establishing Torres Strait Islander art on the international art scene. The start was made in 2001 with the Gelam Nguzu Kazi exhibition that showed in the UK and Canada. The exhibition is still touring and has been seen in twenty six venues in over seventeen countries

This was followed in 2006 with Dennis Nona’s first solo show that was seen in Paris and London to much acclaim bringing Torres Strait Islander art and culture to a huge international audience .

The strategic support of the Queensland Government’s Queensland Indigenous Arts Marketing & Export Agency (QIAMEA) has been a key factor in gaining real interest for these exceptional artists in the international market’.

Both artists already have works in the collections of major overseas institutions. Collectively these include the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, The Cambridge University Museum and museums in France, America, Japan and the Pacific.

Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin

The Tropics, Views from the Middle of the Globe

12 September 2008 to 5 January 2009

Link to exhibition – http://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/en/aktuell/festivals/11_gropiusbau/mgb_04_programm/mgb_04_ProgrammlisteDetailSeite_8123.php

Rebecca Hossack Gallery

2A Conway Street, London W1T 6BA

Malungu (From the Sea)

20 September to 15 November

Link to exhibition –

http://www.r-h-g.co.uk/exhibitions/view/alick_tipoti/18,0.html