DOP Gus Kemp and I spent a week interviewing and filming artists on Erub island for this Closer films production and enjoyed an insightful experience of island life on the Torres Strait. Island life has its own rhythm and pace and is intimately connected with the ocean and the land. It was a privilege to witness the Erub Arts Collaborative create the intricate ghost net sculptures they are famous for. Internationally recognised for their woven ghost net works, the centre’s artists draw their inspiration from the surrounding ocean and reef. The arts centre is a rich source of cultural knowledge, contemporary art and artefacts. The artists all work together ‘to maintain a strong Erubian identity, by promoting … culture in a contemporary way through art.’ Spending time filming the artists on Erub Island taught me new creative ways people can play a role in protecting the places they live.

‘We are all connected by the world’s oceans’

Florence Gutcheon, Erub Island artist.