Gail Mabo facts for kids

Gail Mabo, born in 1965, is a talented Australian artist. Her amazing artwork has been shown all over Australia. She is the daughter of Eddie Mabo, who fought for land rights, and Bonita Mabo, an educator and activist. Gail Mabo also used to be a dancer and choreographer.

Gail Mabo's Early Life and Schooling

Gail Mabo was born in 1965. Her parents were Eddie and Bonita Mabo. She belongs to the Piadram language group and clan. This group comes from Mer Island (also called Murray Island). Mer Island is part of the Torres Strait Islands in Queensland, Australia.

Gail went to the first school for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Townsville. Her father, Eddie Mabo, had opened this special school.

Gail Mabo's Arts Education

Gail Mabo studied art at Kingscliff TAFE in Sydney from 1998 to 2003. Later, in 2004, she went to the Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE in North Queensland. There, she earned a Certificate IV in Visual Arts in 2005. She then completed a Diploma of Visual Arts in 2007.

Before studying visual arts, Gail also trained in dance. She attended the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre in Sydney. She studied dance there from 1984 to 1987.

Gail Mabo's Career Journey

Performing Arts Career

Before becoming a visual artist, Gail Mabo had a career in performing arts. She worked as a dancer, choreographer, and actress.

She appeared in Tracey Moffat's short films. She was an actress in Nice Coloured Girls. She was also a dancer and choreographer in Watch Out. In 1991, she performed in the Sydney show of Jimmy Chi's Bran Nue Dae.

In 2005, Gail directed a stage show called Koiki. This performance was based on the life story of her father.

Visual Art Career

Gail Mabo's visual artwork has been shown in many places. Her art has been part of both solo and group exhibitions across Australia. She is a founding member of Murris in Ink. This is a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in North Queensland.

In 2014, Gail Mabo was asked to create two very large murals. These murals were for the James Cook University's campus in Singapore. She made them using a special printing method called linocut. In 2017, she was the main artist at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. Her artwork honored her father and her home, Mer Island. This artwork was bought by the National Gallery of Victoria and won an Innovation Award.

From 2017 to 2018, Gail helped organize an exhibition called Legacy: Reflections on Mabo. This exhibition was shown in Townsville in 2019. After that, it traveled around Australia for four years.

In 2021 and 2022, Gail's sculpture Tagai was shown. It was part of the Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. The sculpture was made from bamboo sticks and string. It represents the Southern Cross constellation. This artwork is based on the traditional story of Tagai. This story is important for navigation and is passed down through generations of Torres Strait Islanders. Tagai is seen as a man in the Southern Cross constellation, with his left hand pointing south.

In 2021, Gail had an interactive exhibition called House of Cards. It was held at the Umbrella gallery in Townsville. This exhibition explored her home, memories, and family relationships.

Gail Mabo has also been trying new art forms. She has been working with cast bronze. She learned more about this during her residency at Urban Art Projects in 2021.

Other Important Roles

Gail Mabo has also worked with schools in New South Wales. She acts as a cultural advisor, sharing her knowledge. She is also known as a public speaker. She often speaks for her family.

Gail Mabo's Personal Life

Gail Mabo is a mother. She has triplets.

Where Gail Mabo's Art is Held

Gail Mabo's artwork is part of many public and private collections. These include:

• Artbank - Australia-wide
• Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• Australian High Commission, Singapore
• Australian Trade Commission, Singapore
• Australian Maritime Museum, Sydney
• Central Queensland University Collection – Queensland
• James Cook University Collection, Townsville, Singapore and Cairns
• Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
• National Gallery of Victoria
• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
• QAGOMA, Brisbane
• State Library of Queensland
• Townsville City Council
• University of Western Sydney