MEMBER for Leichhardt Warren Entsch MP has congratulated a Cairns artist for receiving the Award for Human Rights through Art at The All Malayalee Malaysian Global Conference.
Dr. Sasi Victoire was one of less than two-dozen awardees from around the world to be recognised at the inaugural event in Malaysia.
Mr Entsch said: “This is a truly outstanding achievement for Dr Victoire who has long been an advocate of issues such as domestic violence, oppression of minorities, and women’s rights.
“She is an excellent example of the artistic talent we have right here in Cairns – using art to push boundaries and address complex topics.”
Dr Victoire also curated an exhibition titled Tropics>Tropics, in which a delegation of Cairns artists presented their work at the inaugural International Johor Bharu Indigenous Festival in Johor Bharu. This exhibition was sponsored by Cairns Regional Council, James Cook University and Arts Queensland.
“This type of ‘soft diplomacy’ work helps to lay the foundations for future collaborations between Cairns and Malaysia in other visual and performing art events and activities,” said Mr Entsch.
Dr Victoire said: “The Tropics>Tropics exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to showcase Cairns to a broader Asian audience as an art and cultural hub. We were able to introduce the diversity of our own Indigenous culture, and share its similarity to Malaysia’s Orang Asli who continues to fight for recognition as its traditional people of the land.
“To also last month receive the Award for Human Rights through Art, from my place of birth in Malaysia, recognises the power of artists as advocates for global human rights issues and also for their ability to covertly influence public opinion,” said Dr Victoire.
