Segar Passi

Place: Mer Island (Murray)

Born: 1942

Biography:

Segar Passi was born on Mer Island (Murray) in the Eastern Torres Straits on September 3, 1942. He is a self-taught artist who began painting in the 1960s. Segar creates works that are based on meticulous observation of marine and birdlife, weather conditions, and scenes of daily life on the island. His choice of subject matter and medium sets him apart from many other Torres Strait Islander artists who choose to work in more traditional styles of carving and mask making. Originally, Segar created small paintings to teach young children on the island about their culture. Later he developed these into larger, more finished works that tell the stories of living on the islands of Mer, Dauar and Waier for more than fifty years.