Zipporah by Elizabeth Barden

Zipporah Corser-Anu was named after her maternal grandmother, Zipporah, a Hebrew name meaning bird. In the Kalaw Kawaw Ya language of the Torres Strait, this translates to Naungu Urui, songbird. The name is a perfect fit for the young performer who is forging her own career in Australian music. Artist Elizabeth Barden says she is a “free spirit who reaches for the skies while remaining grounded in her beliefs”. The daughter of actor Rodger Corser and singer Christine Anu, Corser-Anu proudly carries her deep cultural connection to Sabai Island in the Torres Strait. 

For Barden, this portrait carries particular meaning. She painted several portraits of Christine Anu while pregnant with Corser-Anu, one of which is held in the National Portrait Gallery collection. “It is very special for me to be presenting this portrait of Zipporah,” Barden says. “I feel that I have known her for all of her life.”