Naomi Hobson’s ceramic Iwayi vessels depict an important icon for the First Peoples of northern Australia. The saltwater crocodile is not only revered for being the dominant land-dwelling predator of this region, but also for its totemic ties to Aboriginal lore and being. 

Growing up in the rural town of Coen, Hobson has a connection to the Kaantju and Umpila peoples of the Far North Queensland river systems the Iwayi calls home. The artist pays homage to the crocodile’s appearance, carving its diamond-shaped scales sgraffito style into the surface of the vessel. Triangular protrusions around the necks represent the animal’s spiked back. Within these shapes, Hobson has incorporated the body-painting designs used on the east coast of the Cape York Peninsula in ceremonies held to celebrate the Iwayi.