Ken Thaiday Sr is one of the most well-known artists of the Torres Straight Islands, particularly recognised for contemporary interpretations of Dhari (headdresses) and dance masks. He grew up on Erub (Darnley Island), between the north-eastern tip of Australia and Papua New Guinea. There, he learned about the sacred lore and stories of Beizam, the hammerhead shark, including songs and dances that portray the shark’s movements. Thaiday’s articulated Beizam are often designed with a system of string pulleys to open and shut their jaws. Though inspired by traditional masks and headdresses, Thaiday’s sculptures are made from materials sourced from the urban environment where he now lives, in Cairns, on Australia’s far north-eastern coast.