About Joey Laifoo

I was born and raised in the Torres Strait Islands, originally from Badu Island, Saibai Island and Thursday Island.

I am 32 years of age, I have been painting since the age of 13. I love to express my feelings for the Torres Strait marine life through my paintings and lino prints. My family, partner and friends have encouraged me to achieve this ambition.

The artworks of marine life are apart of Torres Strait Islander’s respect for the sea, which is our lifeblood. I like to acknowledge the past and present culture through my artwork and share it with young and old from all cultures. Most of my artworks are based on people growing up on the islands, hunting, playing sports, my family and stories from the past and present told by my friends and family’s. I like to tell these stories through my artwork so people can understand and relate to the Islander way of life.

Some of my artworks have been published in “Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art” which was published in year 2000 pg 90-91. Also the “Gatherings Book” features my artwork was released in 2001 pages 112-113. The Great Exhibition Grosse Kunst Ausstellung Dusseldorf NRW published 2003. (This is the Great Exhibition in Germany, so the title of the book is in German).

 

 

Torres Strait

 

JOEY LAIFOO  C.V

My artwork has been featured in many galleries and exhibitions within Australia and overseas here are just a few to mention:

  • TAFE exhibition in Sydney 1997
  • TAFE exhibition, Cairns Regional Gallery 1997
  • Royal Brisbane Hospital exhibition, Brisbane 2000
  • NAIDOC week Art exhibition at ‘Oasis Hotel’  Cairns 2001
  • Thala Beach Lodge Gallery Port Douglas since 2001
  • Laura Cultural Festival Art exhibition 2001
  • Opening for “Gatherings Book” Brisbane Art exhibition 2001
  • “Dana Me’(Come Out) Brisbane exhibition 2001, co-ordinated by Dreamtime Enterprises.
  • ‘Two ends Meet’ Art exhibition Cairns Regional Gallery December 7th 2001
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
  • Maiem Sewngapa Algenda to the Torres Strait Art exhibition Townsville July 5-27th 2002
  • Bilby Prints Authentic Aboriginal Art gallery, Port Douglas since September 2002
  • Selected in the Shell Fremantle Print Award for Australia and also in the exhibition in Fremantle Western Australia October 2002
  • Selected in Ergon Energy Central Queensland Art Award and sold work at the exhibition in Rockhampton 27th September –3rd November 2002
  • Northern Frontier  “Within Us” exhibition Cairns Regional gallery November 1st 2002
  • NAIDOC week exhibition at Cairns City Council office, Cairns 2002
  • Queensland Art Works Alliance used an image of my art work “Babba Dunalaig” on the front of their 2001 annual report
  • Native Title exhibition, TAFE Cairns 2003.
  • Atrium Gallery Exhibition, Palm Cove Cairns 2003
  • Grafton Arts Batik Exhibition, Cairns Hilton International 2003
  • Cairns City Council Exhibition, Cairns 2003
  • Douglas Street Gallery Opening Exhibition ,Thursday Island 2003
  • 2003, FNQ & Torres Strait Islands, Artworks Brisbane
  • 2003, Art Exhibition Fremantle Perth WA
  • 2003, BANGGU MINJAANY 20Year of contemporary Indigenous visual art Cairns Regional Gallery 
  • 2003–2004, The Great Art exhibition, Dusseldorf, Germany
  • 2004, Out of Country. Contempory Aboriginal & Torres Strait Art from Queensland Australia Washington D.C (Touring Exhibition)
  • 2004, World exhibition kick Arts Cairns.
  • 2004, King Plate exhibition Cairns.
  • 2006, Gatherings 2 Exhibition Cairns, Thursday Is
  • 2007, Native Title Conference Exhibition Cairns
  • 2007, Ailan Currents exhibition Kick Arts Cairns
  • 2008, Korea and Soul touring exhibition with Oz – e –arts.               
  • 2008, On the Edge Touring Exhibition Cairns, Port Douglas.
  • 2008, Naidoc Week exhibition Tanks, Fogarty Park Cairns
  • 2008, American Samoa “ Festival of Pacific Arts”
  • 2008, Umi Arts Exhibition Woodford and Cairns.
  • 2008, Cairns Art Fair, Pier Cairns.
  • 2009, Jaipur / Delhi (INDIA) “On the Edge” touring exhibition.
  • 2009 “on the Edge” touring exhibition Mackay, Townsville, Gympie
  • 2009, Umi Arts Exhibition Woodford

Books:

“CONTEMPORARY ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ART, Now Days –Early Days”. Editor and Associate Editor: Anna Eglitis, Arone Meeks and Ken Thaiday. Published: Central Queensland University Press 2000   

“GATHERINGS 1 & 2”, Contemporary Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Art from Queensland, Australia complied by Marion Demozay

Commissions:

  • Painted large poles of Boggo Pilot Hostel , Thursday Island
  • Designed TAFE art gallery Logo
  • Designed and won art award for Hockey QLD
  • Designed logo and painted charter boat for “Dato Venture” Charter Business, Thursday Island
  • Commission currently with Australian Public Service Commission, Canberra.
  • Commission currently with Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra.