Ngaw Babn ngu Ngayka [from my father to me]

'This print resonates my connection to the stories of the 'world war 2' era through my Mother Rita Nona (snr) and Father Phillip Nona (snr) also known as Tauwie. My father served as a Corporeal (Q304662 Cpl NONA) in the Torres Strait Light Infantry battalion during world war 2. The main image of the young warrior in the centre of the print represents my first time dancing the Badu Island plane dance at my grandmother's tombstones unveiling. When I danced that night the Badu plane dance, to me it was not just a dance, but a feeling in song, movement to the rhythm of the drum beats connecting me spiritually through the story to my mothers and fathers time during the war. The dance formation is portrayed by the way I place the plane arrow heading towards each other to become one group as we do in the dance. Mum would tell me stories of her experiences of the war as a young girl hearing the sounds of war planes yet to fly over the island, anyone and everyone would immediately with no second thought would just run to the hills to take cover, all men, all women and all children.

Mum would also remind us children at Anzac Day to visit Dads grave to say hello and spend time with him, we would clean the honourments on Dads grave to pay our respects.

The bright sun colours depict the 'Beginning' and the 'Ending', like the Rising and the Setting of the Sun on 'world war 2'. The two Coconuts at the bottom of the print depict our islands and the survival of our people during the war, the coconuts uphold this image reflecting my single feeling an experience from one of many stories and/or dances told and past on down from generation to generation.' Laurie Nona, 2016.

In 2015 the Australian War Memorial commissioned five artists working at Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh (Badu Art Centre) on Badu Island in the Torres Straits to create a suite of lino prints that interpret the experience of the Second World War and its legacy for their community.

Laurie Nona is a senior Badu artist who also manages Badu Art Centre. Laurie creates dynamic artworks in lino relief, copper plate etching and bronze. In 2017 he has been invited to exhibit in The 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial 'Defying Empire' at the National Gallery of Australia.