Kutuji (Shield)

• Art Centre

  Independent Artist

• Year

  2021

• Medium

  carved and incised Utjanypa (Iron wood)

• Size

  83 L x 25 H x 18cm W

Errol Evans is a Djabugay and Western Yalanji man originally from far North Queensland. He splits his time living and working between Homelands at Railway Bore, near Indulkana in remote South Australia and his home Country in far north Queensland. Errol is a highly skilled wood (punu) artist, known for embodying sophisticated cultural narratives in large carved forms including spears, nyura (mob), tjutinypa (club) and kutitji (shields). In carving these large objects, Errol usually begins with a chainsaw to rough out the form before using other mechanised and manual tools to painstakingly shape these highly refined artefacts. Kutitji Chair (shield), designed by Errol Evans and Trent Jansen, resulted from Errol’s passion for carving large objects. This project developed as a sketch exchange between Errol and Trent, starting with a drawing by Errol, incorporating traditional weapons and shields as components of a chair. Through several iterations of call and response, Errol and Trent refined this idea to mimic Errol’s beautifully refined, large shield forms. The collaboration resulting in a simple chair structure that draws on the idiosyncratic lines and surfaces of these artefacts. Kutitji Chair (Shield) is an expression of Errol’s concern about the impacts of climate change and the drying out of Country that is affecting local ecosystems. He sees these shields as a defence against changing times.