Etson Caminha’s practice brings together sound and visual art in dynamic performances, a form of living art. Caminha is an alumni of the renowned Arte Moris Free Art School, established in Timor-Leste’s capital, Dili, by Swiss- German couple Gabi and Luca Gansser and a group of young Timorese artists following the violent Indonesian occupation of the country between 1975 and 1999. A student of the school from its inception in 2003, Caminha developed a distinguished, experimental sound practice using, quite simply, whatever he had at hand.

Caminha now plays bass guitar in the band Galaxy. He founded the experimental group NOISE Timor, and co-founded the music festival LANTAVA in his hometown of Lospalos. He is also an educator, who taught music at Arte Moris to help young people navigate the psychological and social reconstruction necessary in the period following Indonesian occupation.

For the Asia Pacific Triennial, Caminha presents an installation exploring traditional and adopted understandings of national and personal identity through sound and object assemblages. The musical compositions and installation combine significant traditional cultural elements, such as the Timorese tais (textile) and sanen rai (clay pot), alongside languages and lyrics central to Caminha's personal history. These include Fataluku, the local language of his hometown of Lospalos; Tetum, an Austronesian language used widely in Timor-Leste; and the languages of colonising countries Portugal and Indonesia.