Trobriand Islander

Profile portrait of a man wearing an armband and decorative comb in his hair. Vegetation, signs of a village and a female figure feature in the background. Reproduced in R Curtis, 'Peace and War on a Coral Island', Walkabout, 1 August 1945, pp.20-21. Of his subject Curtis wrote 'This Trobriand Islander worked all day down on the runway loading and unloading aircraft. One Sunday in his own village he posed proudly for this sketch.'

In 1942, Curtis was appointed Officer in Charge of Camouflage in New Guinea. As well as recording the activities of the Australian and American troops, Curtis took every opportunity to visit local villages, creating a series of portraits of Papuan Islanders. Several of these drawings were used to illustrate short articles Curtis contributed to the Australian magazine 'Walkabout', and provide insight into the experiences of local civilians working by Australian troops or displaced by the conflict. Generally, the articles were observations on 'native' life, including marriage, wood carving, and body adornment, however Curtis also commented on distinguishing physiological features of individuals from different tribes.

Curtis was appointed as an official war artist in March 1945, covering the civil and industrial war effort in Australia.