Segar Passi (Meriam Mir/Dauareb, Torres Strait Islands, Australia)

Museum of Contemporary Art

Segar Passi is a self-taught Meriam Elder and artist who was born in 1942 on Dauar, one of the three islands that make up Mer (Murray) Island in the Torres Strait. Passi has been painting since his early childhood, using charcoal, crushed stones, saltwater, pandanus fruit, and clam shells as his materials. He paints his ancestral stories, weather systems, Indigenous astrology, marine and bird species, portraits of his people, and scenes of daily life on the island. Passi is also a Cultural Custodian and educator who shares his knowledge with the younger generations on Mer. 

Presentation at the 24th Biennale of Sydney was made possible with generous support from a grant from Open Society Foundations.