Born: 1953, Coonabarabran, NSW
Tribe: Kamilaroi
Tony Sorby is an Australian aboriginal artist and a descendant of the Kamilaroi people. Tony was one of the stolen generations who discovered his Aboriginal roots at the age of 12. In his mid-20’s he was reunited with his family.
At various times, Tony worked as a wool classer, dug tunnels for the railways, managed a market garden and taught carpentry and joinery to juvenile offenders.
Tony’s interest in art was sparked by a Czechoslovakian acquaintance who introduced him to the fine art of marquetry. With the discovery of his aboriginal roots came the desire to know more about his heritage, and in his early 30’s, Tony began a formal course of study in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture. During this time, he also started creating art works, experimenting with mixed media that included paints and wood stains, using wood rather than canvas as his medium. In 1996 after fire totally destroyed Tony’s art pieces, he spent 2 years to rebuild his love of art.
Tony’s works are now entirely on canvas and contain traditional as well as contemporary themes. Tony regularly camps in bushland to find inspiration from the land, hills, creeks and rivers that are reflected in his paintings.
Member ships:
Member of National Indigenous Arts Advocacy Association
Registered with the National Association for the Visual Arts
