SARINA LIRIOSI
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ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
I have been a practicing artist for over 25 years. I began playing with sculpture and clay and have always been a little obsessed with absurdity. After receiving an Australia Council Grant, I continued to exhibit in numerous solo, group, curated, and award exhibitions around Australia.
In 1996 after completing a Master of Fine Art at RMIT University, I began using photography and mixed media. My work continues to explore the human condition, more recently focusing on notions of loss and desire.
ARTIST'S REASON FOR PARTICIPATING
I am very proud to be part of this exhibition because I am passionate about the rights of all living creatures on this planet.
The Orangutans are beautiful and intelligent and I am proud to offer my work for their cause.
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GUNUNG
From Tiny Survivor to Big Island Explorer
Gunung’s journey began in tragedy. On 3 November 2011, he arrived at International Animal Rescue’s (IAR) orangutan rehabilitation centre in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, estimated to be just two to three months old—meaning he’d been taken from his mother at an incredibly young age.
He weighed only 2kg and was in poor condition: thin, covered in red spots from a suspected allergic reaction, and with a deep, infected wound on the side of his head, likely from falling when his mother was killed. He was treated with antibiotics and gentle care, and remarkably, within a week, the little fighter was on the road to recovery.
Named Gunung, meaning “mountain” in Indonesian, he began to live up to his name in spirit. By early 2013, he was among the boldest orangutans at the new forest school, bravely reaching for tree branches while others clung close to their babysitters.
Gunung loved to play, especially with Noel, Lady (his surrogate “mother”), Rahayu, and Oscarina. Though he was one of the smallest, his long hair made him popular—and sometimes a playful target for hair-pulling!
In 2023, Gunung took a major step in his journey: he was one of twenty orangutans chosen to move to Palau Besar (Big Island), a 64-acre protected forest used for soft release. Here, orangutans live with minimal human intervention while preparing for life fully in the wild.
Gunung is thriving in this vast natural playground—constantly climbing, foraging, and showing just how far he’s come. Once a fragile orphan, he is now a wild explorer, ready for the next chapter in the forest he was born to call home.
