Vernon Marbendinar

This is a major totem for the Marbendinar family who come from the Wik-Alkan Tribe on the Southern Wik Lands near Aurukun.
Ritual Sculpture collected from Aboriginal people in Cape York Peninsula has been recorded and collected as far back as 1888. The most significant early collection and recording of Aurukun sculpture was by Ursula McConnel, this collection now
sits with the South Australian Museum.
The support by the Presbyterian Mission for ritual activity, such as initiations helped maintain selected elements of the language and cultural practices of the Wik and Kugu Region.
The introduction of a sawmill supported a transition to steel tools and new carpentry techniques which aided in the development of more complex and sophisticated sculptures of which we see today being made by the Art Centre’s male artists.