There is a group of islands in the Banda Sea, south-east of Indonesia, that were once one land. Local oral histories recall that it was the force of a giant eel’s tail slapped against this large piece of earth that fragmented it into smaller islands – known today as Alor, Ataúro, Kisar, Lira, Timor and Wetar.

Situated only 30 kilometres north of Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, one of those islands – the mountainous Ataúro – is one of only a few areas in this young nation where the creation of carved wooden sculptures continues. Hewn from local timber species – including whitewood, eucalyptus, rosewood, red cedar and cassia – the figurative sculptures carved by local men continue a tradition of whittling ancestor figures to memorialise the original founders of Ataúro communities. Leaders would perpetuate each clan’s history through the recitation of extensive genealogies, reaching back to their forebears.

Today, Ataúroan carvers living and working both on and off the island are open to new ideas, values and materials, and create a vast array of contemporary sculptures – from the tiny to the monumental – to sell to malae (foreigners). Including ancestor figures alongside mermen, mermaids, fish and eels, these sculptures continue to be inspired by deeply held beliefs as well as local stories that glorify the deep and unpredictable sea surrounding Ataúro.