Australian artist Darrell Sibosado’s use of visual language is quite unique, something that most people in the rest of the world may not be familiar with. “Rock art, carvings and etchings are our written language. Storytelling, song and dance are our records. We retain, record and pass information through the various art forms,” says Sibosado, who belongs to the Aboriginal Bard tribe from Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula of Kimberley coast in Western Australia.
His works are part of an exclusive preview by N Smith Gallery, Australia, at the ongoing India Art Fair 2025 in New Delhi.
His artwork Niman Aarl, for instance, is made from mother-of-pearl, ebony, wood, trochus, turtle shell and dugong bone, and reflects the traditional practice of shell-carving in the region. The riji—or etched pearl shell designs—traces the story of Galalan, the Bard ancestor that took human form, gave men the law, and taught them how to manage and share the resources in ‘Bard Burr’ or ‘Bard country’.
“The Bards of Kimberley are renowned shell carvers most recognised for our mother-of-pearl (pearl shell) designs called riji, traditionally worn by the Aboriginal men of Australia. With my works, I am continuing the relationship and connection to these materials,” says Sibosado.
According to the artist, Niman Aarl includes more than 300 individually carved and pinned fish. “It is not so much about the fish, but more so about the disturbance on the smooth surface of the water and what is happening beneath. It touches on the disruption of natural rhythms,” explains Sibosado.
In his reiterations for the Aboriginal culture, the artist has transformed traditional shell-carving designs into large-scale light sculptures and installations to bring the traditional Bard culture into the contemporary art world.
The light works in enamel coated metal and LED are designs passed down by his brothers and are specific to his family line. While he retains the symbols and motifs and even inspires people to maintain their culture, the intent is to push recognition of Aboriginal culture as relevant and contemporary. “Although our lore and culture are ancient, they are still here and they adapt and reshape to respond to our current environment. My use of contemporary materials reflects what our people do naturally—we utilise what is around us. With the prints/ zinc etchings, I replicate the ochre colours used in our traditional carvings. The corten steel attracted me because of the ochre colouring of the rusted metal. I utilise light in my attempts to capture, replicate and do justice to the brightness that emanates from the mother-of-pearl,” says Sibosado.
According to Sibosado, the indigenous people have a significant role to play in the preservation of biodiversity. “Art and culture are very relevant to wildlife conservation. We, too, are part of our natural environment and are connected to all aspects of it—climate, landscape, flora and fauna. If we do not conserve the separate individual elements (including wildlife) of our ecology (our story), we will no longer have the whole story; the story deteriorates,” adds Sibosado.
