Sardines Under The Wharf

Francoise Lane is a Torres Strait Islander woman whose maternal family are from Kerriri and are descendants of the Meriam and Kaurareg people of the Torres Strait Islands. Francoise is an interior designer, textile designer and artist describing her work as straddling the intersection between design and art including exhibition curation and leading creative art projects. Her work is inspired by family, connection to country and the plants and animals of Tropical Queensland.

Story that inspired Sardines Under The Wharf:

At certain times of the year schools of sardine swim around and under the Kerriri (Hammond Island, TSI) wharf. The sardines are jigged by hand and used as live bait for fishing from the wharf. On one holiday visit to Kerriri my family went fishing together. At that time my youngest son was 3 years old. He caught a sardine on his line, made friends with it and decided to keep him safe in his pocket. It was a couple of hours later that we discovered and met his new friend. The give away was the wet and slightly smelly patch around his shorts pocket. ‘Sardines under the Wharf’ as a concept was developed to preserve the special memory I have of my son and his aquatic friend.