Creative DIRECTOR
Lisa Michl Ko-manggèn
Lisa Michl is a celebrated Kokoberrin artist from Central Western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland Australia. Lisa is of the Kokoberrin language group and her homelands on her mother’s and grandmother’s side are known as Pinnarinch and stretch between Staaten River National Park in the south and north to Nassau River, including Wyabba Creek and Dorunda Lodge area.
Born: 1977 in Cairns, Queensland
Clan group: Kokoberrin
Language Group: Kokothalpal
Area: Central Western Cape York Peninsula Queensland
Homelands: Pinnarinch
Community: Cairns – Kowanyama – Normanton
Clan story place: Water Fairy
Totem Name: Ko-manggén
Lisa Michl is a celebrated Kokoberrin artist from Central Western Cape York Peninsula in Queensland Australia. Lisa is of the Kokoberrin language group and her homelands on her mother’s and grandmother’s side are known as Pinnarinch and stretch between Staaten River National Park in the south and north to Nassau River, including Wyabba Creek and Dorunda Lodge area. The beautiful and remote lands of Pinnarinch encompass several important Clan Story Places with Ko-manggén being one of them.
In Kokoberrin language Ko-manggén means “Saltwater catfish”. This totem name was given to Lisa by her great grandfather, the most senior Kokoberrin elder and lore man. Today the Kokoberrin reside mainly in Kowanyama, Normanton and other north Queensland communities where strengthening and maintaining cultural practice is achieved through a variety of activities.
The beautiful and remote lands of Pinnarinch encompass several important Clan Story Places with Ko-manggén being one of them. In Kokoberrin language Ko-manggén means “Saltwater catfish”. This totem name was given to Lisa by her great grandfather, the most senior Kokoberrin elder and lore man. Today the Kokoberrin reside mainly in Kowanyama, Normanton and other north Queensland communities where strengthening and maintaining cultural practice is achieved through a variety of activities.
On her father’s side, Lisa has links to the Czech Republic in Europe where her extraordinary paintings have been exhibited to wide acclaim. Lisa’s beautifully coloured earth tone paintings present intricate forms and bold designs that have found favour among collectors in the USA, Canada and Europe. Closer to home, Lisa has shown her works in prominent Australian exhibitions such as The RAKA Award, Story Place, Indigenous Art of the Cape York & Rainforest and Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and her works have been selected for the prestigious National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award.
Lisa has been practicing visual arts for 24 years and over this time her works have been inspired by her memories of time spent on country with her Kokoberrin family. Her artworks play an instrumental role in documenting and maintaining Kokoberrin stories for future generations. Over her career Lisa has maintained a successful aboriginal owned and operated creative enterprise and has recently re-established her business Cape York Designs to the company Cape York Art. Much of her success can be attributed to the ongoing support from her family guidance from her elders and the mentoring she has received around business management and artistic skills development. Lisa is now a mentor and adviser to fellow emerging Indigenous artists of the Far North Queensland region.
In June 2019 Lisa was awarded a Queens Birthday Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her outstanding contribution to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts and Cultural Sector.
Over her career through both payed and voluntary employment Lisa has demonstrated a passion and dedication to building pathways and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural practitioners and she has been approached by several federal, state and local boards across several industries to make positive contribution to the Indigenous arts movement from Far North Queensland. Lisa’s artworks can be found in the collections of the Queensland Art Gallery, Parliament House, Cairns Regional Gallery and Australian ArtBank as well as the Australian Embassy in Germany.
In recent years Lisa has taken time away from her arts practice to start her family and she is now looking at reinstating her position as one of Far North Queensland’s most exciting designers and as the Creative Director of Cape York Art. Currently Lisa is working on an exciting new range of works on paper, giftware, apparel and jewellery these will be made available in the near future.
This artwork was commissioned for use in the Indigenous Genomic Health Literacy, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.
This collaborative landscape painting was commissioned in response, to the desire to invest in an original artwork that represents ITEC Group Australia’s services, journey and vision.
This artwork was commissioned by Gilimbba for use in the Dementia Australia’s Indigenous Engagement Handbook.
Exhibitions
2019 Curated exhibition DATSIP One William Building Brisbane Qld Curated exhibition Freshwater Saltwater UMI Arts, Cairns Qld Cape York Art Market at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD 2018 Curated exhibition You and Me UMI Arts, Cairns QLD Curated exhibition Freshwater Saltwater exhibition UMI Arts, Cairns Qld Meeanjin Markets, Comm Games, Brisbane Qld Sydney Connect Tradeshow, NSW BTOF Markets UMI Arts, Cairns QLD Cape York Art Market at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD UMI Arts Curated exhibition at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD UMI Arts Market at Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair NT 2017 Curated exhibition You and Me UMI Arts, Cairns QLD Curated exhibition Freshwater Saltwater exhibition UMI Arts, Cairns Qld Cape York Art Curated exhibition at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD Pullman exhibition, Cairns International Qld UMI Arts Market at Darwin Aboriginal Arts Fair NT 2016 Curated exhibition You and Me UMI Arts, Cairns QLD Curated exhibition Freshwater Saltwater exhibition UMI Arts, Cairns Qld Cape York Art Curated exhibition at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD Pullman exhibition, Cairns International Qld 2015 Curated exhibition You and Me, Members exhibition, UMI Arts, Cairns, QLD Cape York Art Curated exhibition at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Freshwater Saltwater exhibition UMI Arts, Cairns Qld Touring exhibition UMI Arts, Cairns QLD Pullman Exhibition, Cairns International Qld Delmar Gallery, Trinity Grammar School NSW 2015 Delmar Gallery NSW Existance 2015 Touring Exhibition Pullman Cairns International Exhibition You and Me Exhibition Umi Arts Cairns Freshwater Saltwater Exhibition Umi Arts Cairns 2014 Curated exhibition August, Freshwater Saltwater, UMI Arts, Cairns, QLD Curated exhibition August, Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD CIAF Cruise liner terminals, Cairns Freshwater Saltwater Exhibition UMI Arts Cairns 2013 Curated exhibition August, Freshwater Saltwater, UMI Arts, Cairns, QLD Curated exhibition August, Indigenous Art Fair, Shipping Terminals Cairns QLD 2012 Group Exhibition August, Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD Group exhibition November, Post Card Show, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD Group Exhibition August, Pathways, Umi Arts Cairns, QLD 2011 Group Exhibition August, Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD Group exhibition November, Post Card Show, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD 2010 Solo exhibition August, Kokoberrin Country, Canopy Arts Space, Cairns QLD Curated exhibition August, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD Curated exhibition August, Pathways, UMI Arts, Cairns, QLD Solo exhibition February, Japingka Gallery, Perth, WA 2009 Group exhibition December, Summer Show, Hogarth Gallery, Paddington, NSW Group exhibition December, Summer Show, Joan Winter Gallery, Brisbane, QLD Solo exhibition October, Hogarth Gallery, Paddington, NSW Solo exhibition September, Framed Gallery, Darwin NT Curated exhibition August, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Tanks Arts Centre, Qld Solo exhibition May, Returning Home, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns, QLD Group exhibition June, UMI Arts, The Dreaming Festival, Woodford, QLD Solo exhibition June, My Homelands, Daintree Eco Lodge, Daintree, QLD 2008 Solo exhibition September, Pinnarinch, Helen Maxwell Braddon, Canberra, ACT Solo exhibition October, Pretty Pretty Shell, MARS Gallery, Port Melbourne, VIC Solo exhibition June, Stories of the Kokoberrin, The Dreaming Festival, Woodford, QLD Group exhibition June, Festival of Pacific Arts, American Samoa Group exhibition November, The RAKA Award, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, VIC Group exhibition June, Joan Winter Gallery, Paddington, Brisbane, QLD Group exhibition May, Banggu Minjaany Art Gallery, Cairns, QLD 2007 Solo exhibition June, Japingka Gallery, Perth, WA Solo exhibition September, My Country, Hogarth Galleries, Paddington, NSW Solo exhibition November, Bundarra Gallery, Port Douglas, QLD Solo exhibition June, Old Spirits, Tanks Arts Centre Cairns, Qld Group exhibition August, 24th Telstra National ATSI Art Award, MAGNT, Darwin, NT Group exhibition February, Opera House, Aboriginal Tourism Australia, NSW Group exhibition November, Post Card Show, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD 2006 Solo exhibition April, Earth’s Dust – Creation, Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns, QLD Solo exhibition June, Dreaming Story, Hogarth Galleries, Paddington, NSW Solo exhibition May, Clear Day, Banggu Minjaany Art Gallery, Cairns, QLD Solo exhibition September, Returning Home, Helen Maxwell Gallery, Canberra, ACT Group exhibition June, Gatherings II, Kick Arts Gallery, Cairns, QLD Group exhibition June, NAIDOC, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns, QLD Group exhibition November, Post Card Show, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD 2005 Solo exhibition June, Pinnarinch, Andrew Baker Art Dealer Bowen Hills, QLD Group exhibition August, 22nd Telstra National ATSI Art Award, MAGNT, NT 2004 Group exhibition Out of Country, Washington, D.C. USA Group exhibition Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA 2003 Group exhibition May, Story Place, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Australia Group exhibition June, Cape York + Torres Strait Art, QLD Art Gallery, Brisbane Group exhibition Great Art Exhibition, Germany Grosse Kunstausstellung Dusseldorf, Germany
Personal Qualifications
Professional Qualifications 2014 TAE and Cert IV in Business- Governance 2009 TNQ TAFE Banggu Minjaany Arts and Cultural Centre Advanced Diploma in ATSI Visual Arts 2000 TNQ TAFE Certificate in Workplace Training and Assessment 1999 TNQ TAFE Certificate V in Workplace Training and Development 1998 TNQ TAFE Certificate IV in Workplace Training
Awards
2011 Laura Art Award Major Prize 2009 Semi finalist, The RAKA Award, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, VIC Semi finalist, Queenslander Awards, Art and Culture 2007 24th Telstra National ATSI Art Award, MAGNT, Darwin, NT 2006 Award recipient, Yvonne Coen Indigenous Youth Art and Leadership Award, Wilin Centre, Victorian College of the Arts, 2005 Special mention, Yvonne Coen Indigenous Youth Art & Leadership Award, Wilin Centre, Victorian College of the Arts, Award recipient, Heather Blair Award, Cairns Regional Gallery for production and presentation of fine art paintings Semi finalist, 22nd Telstra National ATSI Art Award, MAGNT, Darwin, NT
Grants
2009 Arts Queensland- Building skills and opportunities 2008 Australia Council- Presentation and promotion 2007 Australia Council- New Work
Residencies
2009 Festival of Pacific Arts America Samoa- Australian Delegation
Publications
2014 Freshwater Saltwater Publication 2014 Umi Arts Cairns and 2014 CIAF Cruise Liner Terminals Cairns 2009 Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair 2008 Kate Challis RAKA Award- Contemporary Indigenous Visual Arts
The collection- Cairns Regional Gallery acquisitions 2006 Undiscovered our rising art stars- Australian Art Collector Gathering II Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art from Queensland Australia 2003 Story Place- Indigenous art of Cape York and the Rainforest Grosse Kunst Ausstellung DÚSSELDORF NRW 2001 Now Days Early Days Artwork and Legends- Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art
Let’s Start Something new
Say Hello!
We’d love to hear from you