James Eseli
Born 1929 on Badu Island, Torres Strait Islands, Australia
Died 2009 on Badu Island, Torres Strait Islands, Australia
Kala Lagaw Ya/Badhulaig
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Badu Bomber Aircraft Headdress 2004
hibiscus wood, synthetic polymer paint on wood, nails, copper, iron
Courtesy of Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Torres Strait Regional Authority. James Eseli © Gab Titui Cultural Centre Collection, Torres Strait Regional Authority.
During the Second World War, Japanese and Australian bombers conducted dogfights in the skies above the Torres Strait, while Japanese submarines lay in wait beneath the waves. From 1942 to 1943, Horn Island, a strategic Australian air base, was bombed eight times by Japanese forces, making it the second most attacked Australian territory during the war.
Maluyligal elder, artist and dancer James Eseli was one of many Torres Strait Islander children taken from his home island to the safety of Waiben (Thursday Island). He would later choreograph an airplane dance to commemorate the bombing of Horn Island. While Torres Strait Islander headdresses usually depict totemic animals, Eseli designed and made headpieces adorned with fighter planes to be worn during the airplane dance. Dancers move in a battle-style formation, their miniature flight patterns a testament to the unsung contribution of Torres Strait Islander people to Australia’s war efforts. Despite not being recognised as Australian citizens, 880 of the estimated 890 eligible men in the Torres Strait Islands signed up to defend Australia during the Second World War.
James Eseli (1929-2009) was a senior Maluyligal elder and a renowned artist from Badu Island in the Torres Strait. He was known for his choreography of the airplane dance and for making headdresses that resembled different types of aircrafts. He was inspired by his childhood memories of witnessing the air raids and evacuations during World War II and they represented both the threat and the fascination of the foreign invaders. Eseli also created totemic headdresses such as crocodiles and birds that were made of bamboo, feathers, shells, and other natural materials and choreographed dances using these headdresses to connect with his ancestors.
Read more about the 24th Biennale of Sydney, Ten Thousand Suns, by purchasing the catalogue here.