Thancoupie

Thancoupie
Thancoupie 1981
Born1937 (1937)
Weipa, Queensland, Australia
Died23 April 2011 (aged 73–74)
Weipa, Queensland, Australia
Other namesThanakupie, Thancoupie, Gloria Fletcher, Thankupi, Dr Gloria Fletcher James AO
Known forCeramics, Sculpture

Dr Thancoupie Gloria Fletcher James AO (1937-2011) was an Australian sculptural artist, educator, linguist and elder of the Thainakuith people in Weipa, in the Western Cape York area of far north Queensland. She was the last fluent speaker of the Thainakuith language and became a pillar of cultural knowledge in her community. She was also known as Thankupi, Thancoupie and Thanakupi.

Thancoupie played a dynamic role in First Nations Australian arts, not only in her leadership of ceramics as a form of cultural expression for First Peoples, but was among the first to be recognised as an individual contemporary First Nations artist in Australia.

Thancoupie also produced a number of works using metal, including her large-scale cast bronze work Eran (2010) which is displayed at the entrance to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.[1] Thancoupie’s works in metal closely resemble her ceramic works: rounded vessels or spheres, into which imagery from Thainakuith culture is carved. Thancoupie’s use of metal in her practice was, like ceramics, among the first uses of the material as a vehicle for cultural expression in a First Nations context.

Thancoupie drew directly from her knowledge of Thainakuith culture, as well as ceramic and metal art practices, to produce her body of work. Thancoupie’s works occupy most Australian public collections and remains a pivotal figure in Australian art history.[2][3]

  1. ^ Caruana, Cubillo, Wally, Franchesca (2010). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art: Collection Highlights. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bursary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Donnelly, Paul (6 May 2011). "Thancoupie (Thanakupi) The Potter (1937-2011)". Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.