Beizam headdress (Shark with shark jaw) 1991

Ken Thaiday Sr is one of the most well-known artists of the Torres Strait 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 in the city of Cairns on Australia’s far north-eastern coast, where he now lives.