Design and Art Australia Online

Adrian (Ringo) Morgan was born in Robinvale and grew up in Bairnsdale, Victoria, where he has family and land connections across the state; his maternal grandfather was the well-respected Victorian elder Banjo Clarke from the Framlingham Mission in the Western Districts and his paternal grandparents were from the Cummeragunja Mission near Echuca. Morgan’s mother grew up in East Gippsland (Orbost and Lake Tyers).

Like many Aboriginal families in East Gippsland, Ringo’s family earned a living from seasonal picking. At age fifteen, Ringo joined his father in the paddocks. It was during this period that the young Ringo observed his father Keith Morgan carving emu eggs. An interest sparked in Ringo and over the following two decades Ringo refined his skill.

Ringo’s designs, like his father’s, typically incorporate images of native animals including lizards, kangaroos, turtles and emus. Ringo enjoys working with eggs from different areas finding the colour variation in the eggs interesting as his intricate carving reveals variations in shade and tone.

Now in his third decade of creating his much sought after designs, Ringo is able to create one off designs for commissions and for friends. He continues to improve and expand his style and his business skills and his eggs are now in collections all over the world.

Writers:

East Gippsland Aboriginal Arts Corporation
Allas, Tess

Date written:

2008

Last updated:

2011