This is the first time Bagu ceramics have been exhibited in Europe and outside Australia. They were created by artists from the Girringun Art Centre, a small community located 200 km south of Cairns in Queensland. It was not until 2009 that the artists revealed their works to the Australian public at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, where they achieved great success with both critics and collectors.

Originally, the Bagu were fire sticks, traditionally composed of two parts: the Bagu (body) and the Jiman (stick).

These objects held sacred value due to the torrential rains that frequently fall in this tropical region. They were carried during the nomadic movements of the people. Women were not allowed to handle them; only a man designated by the group had exclusive responsibility for maintaining the fire, ensuring it never went out, as the surrounding wood was often wet. Beyond cooking, fire was used for warmth, crafting weapons, performing ceremonies, and strengthening social bonds, as well as supporting water sources in arid zones. Aboriginal peoples of Queensland gave these sticks an anthropomorphic form in homage to the fire spirit Chikka-bunnah, who, according to legend, hurled flaming sticks (Jiman) across the sky.

While these objects were originally made exclusively from wood, the artists of this centre - constantly experimenting with new techniques - recently chose to work in clay, allowing women to participate in their creation.

Despite the distances separating the many Aboriginal peoples and their cultural differences, they are united by a shared ability to create profoundly contemporary works rooted in a religious tradition dating back millennia.

This work comes with certificates of authenticity from the Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre and from the gallery Arts d’Australie • Stéphane Jacob, expert in Aboriginal art.