First Nations’ artists celebrated in powerful new exhibition at Coffs Harbour
Touring exhibition arrives in Coffs Harbour as gallery prepares for its grand reopening.
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A sombre depiction of fear, loss and stolen generations – Gus Kelly’s award-winning portrait Narra Dhalayi (Sad Girl) is just one of the powerful artworks set to feature in a new exhibition on the Coffs Coast.
The Dunghutti man’s haunting caricature-style portraiture, which reflects the crude perception of First Nation people by early European settlers, is the winner of this year’s Saltwater Freshwater Aboriginal Art Award.
The artwork will be on display at Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery when it reopens on June 12, after the gallery was forced to close for several months due water damage. The new exhibition will mark the first in the gallery’s 20th anniversary celebration program.
The 2021 Saltwater Freshwater Aboriginal Art Award and Contemporary Cultural Objects Exhibitions features works by artists from the Worimi, Biripi, Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr nations that make up the Saltwater Freshwater region.
It has been curated by Wadjar Regional indigenous Gallery’s Alison Williams, who said creating artwork allowed for First Nation creatives to connect to their heritage, ancestry and lands.
“It represents the culmination of history and the continuation of story, whether it be through, painting, dance, song, film and crafts,” she said.
“Because health and wellbeing within a First Nation context extends beyond that of an individual, it is important to recognise the social, spiritual, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the entire community is supported through the arts and this biennial art award.”
A stunning showcase of fibre art fashion created by weavers from across the Saltwater Freshwater region is also set to feature.
The weavers had to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 by meeting regularly online to share their ideas and provide support, developing their design concepts between the four nations over six months in 2020.
The garments have been made with materials chosen for their cultural significance, including possum skin, paperbark and lomandra.
Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery has been a touring partner since the award was established in 2017 as a biennial event.
The tour will continue on to Sydney’s Boomalli Aboriginal Art Gallery, Taree’s Manning Regional Gallery and Wadjar Regional indigenous Gallery in Corindi Beach.
It will be open to the public at Coffs Harbour from June 12 to August 7.
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