Summary

Esther Kirby used materials from her land - wood emu leather and eggs to create works that reflected her lifelong journey of learning, a respected elder of her community, she was committed to ensuring Koori culture survives and strengthens. She continued the art of emu egg carving that she learnt from members of her family including her father and uncles. Esther used a scalpel to carefully carve through the different layers of the emu egg shell revealing multiple different shaded sections as she worked to complete the design. Like the other master carvers in her family, Esther does not draw the designs on paper first. When discussing her work for inclusion in the First Peoples exhibition, Esther said 'If I can see the picture in there, I just go with it. Once I'm focused, I can sit there for most of the day carving'.
Sadly Aunty Esther Kirby passed away in Nov 2022.

Physical Description

Emu egg. Incised design of mother and child one side; male hunter other side. (Register)

More Information