Memories of oblivion 1 – 50,000 years of peace

Paul Bong (b. 1963 Yidinji) is a printmaker whose works often focus on reclaiming cultural treasures and histories that have been disrupted and dislocated through colonial processes. Bong uses etching and vinyl print techniques to recreate the forms of cultural material including rainforest shields, king plates, weaponry and dilly bags. His prints represent a way to reclaim cultural treasures that have been removed from their communities and now reside largely in museums.

Bong’s 2016 work, Memories of Oblivion is a suite of five prints that together span a narrative of more than 50,000 years, from the earliest records of settlement in the Cairns region to the present day. The creeping influence of the Union Jack on the form of a North Queensland rainforest shield speaks to the loss of culture and violent persecution of Aboriginal people that occurred on the colonial frontier. Together, the prints in the series also serve as a memorial to those who died defending Country during the conflicts. The first print in the series, '50,000 years of peace' represents the period prior to European colonisation of Australia. The artist has said of the work:
'Dreamtime, our song lines - my story. My heart will live on, for there is no time or date. My people have been here for as long as we can remember or record, about 50,000 yrs. I woke up before first light and feel as if I had been awake for a very long time I sit at my humpy think how beautiful, it is the beauty of nature…how we preserve our land every day, we go hunting for food, swimming, meeting other tribes to sing and dance. We meet for marriages and celebration of the new born. For men and women to meet… happy times, the best part of my life is when the elders took the young men up into the caves and told them about our song lines and the meaning of why we are all are chosen to be caretakers of such a beautiful vast country.'