Indigenous Art
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Artist unknown Jawun [bicornual basket] c.early 20th century 2002, lawyer cane, Collection of the National Gallery of Australia see this work in Tactility
The Indigenous art of Australia is the part of oldest continuing living culture in the world and one of the two major art traditions operating within Australia today. The National Gallery of Australia collects art of the highest artistic merit and excellence created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter referred to as Indigenous) to document and represent the ongoing and developing traditions of art which reflect the diversity of Indigenous experience over time and from every region of the continent.
The collection aims to document the history of Indigenous art from the earliest collectable works to the most recent. Given the dynamic and innovative nature of Indigenous artistic practice, the Gallery aims to keep abreast of contemporary developments across all art forms including all media used by contemporary Indigenous artists.
Among key Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art works in the collection is The Aboriginal Memorial (1987–88), an installation of 200 painted hollow log coffins by the artists of Ramingining in Arnhem Land. The Memorial, a collaborative work involving 43 artists, is dedicated to all Indigenous Australians who have lost their lives defending their country since non-Indigenous settlement.
New acquisition highlights
- 2008 Listing | Gallery of selected works
- 2007 Listing | Gallery of selected works
- 2006 Listing | Gallery of selected works
- 2005 Listing | Gallery of selected works
- 2004 Listing | Gallery of selected works
- 2003 Listing | Gallery of selected works
See the The Aboriginal Memorial
Related exhibitions
- Aboriginal art in modern worlds
- Emily Kame Kngwarreye: Alhalkere: paintings from Utopia
- From little things big things grow
- Keeping culture
- Islands in the sun: prints by indigenous artists of Australia and the Australasian region
- Michael Riley: sights unseen
- No ordinary place: the art of David Malangi
- Re-take, contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander photography
- Seeing the centre: the art of Albert Namatjira
- Tactility: two centuries of indigenous objects, textiles and fibre
- World of Dreaming
Ramingining Artists 'The Aboriginal Memorial' 1987–88, Collection of the National Gallery of Australia
View quicktime panorama
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Selected publications
all works are National Gallery of Australia publications unless otherwise stated
Michael Riley: sights unseen 2006
Aboriginal art in modern worlds 2000
Keeping culture: Aboriginal art to keeping places and cultural centres, 2000
The painters of the Wagilag sisters story, 1937-1997 Wally Caruana and Nigel Lendon, editors, 1997
The eye of the storm : eight contemporary indigenous Australian artists, 1996
for more National Gallery of Australia publications visit the library catalogue online
More information
Albert Namatjira @ In the Artist's Footsteps
Links to other institutions and events
Western Australian Premier’s Indigenous Art Awards