Tribal Voices Series: Teachings of the Elders

This work from Traphina Sultan’s Tribal Voices Series reflects the sacred role of Elders as teachers, guiding young people through the lessons of survival, storytelling, songline, and dance. It captures the rhythm of cultural continuity — where wisdom is shared through experience, not written word.

The flowing forms and layered movement represent the circle of teaching: Elders at the centre, knowledge radiating outward through generations. Each line and shape symbolises the strength of stories that teach respect for land, water, and one another.

Sultan’s composition evokes the pulse of Country — the heartbeat that connects past and present. Through her work, she honours the enduring traditions that keep communities strong, ensuring that language, law, and songlines remain alive and unbroken.