Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia
An important survey of historical and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is currently on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA). Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia is a celebration of Indigenous art and its significance to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian history and culture. The exhibition will showcase a selection of works from the National Gallery of Australia and the Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, considering a series of interlinked themes including ancestors and creators, Country and constellations, community and family, culture and ceremony, trade and influence, resistance and colonisation, innovation and identity. Moreover, this ground-breaking exhibition doesn’t shy away from complex issues. Ever Present invites discourse about the history, diversity and significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait art, emphasising the artists’ push for artistic self-determination within the colonial art world. Many of the 80 artists involved in the exhibition use their art as a means to dispel restrictive colonial narratives, re-writing the past and navigating the present through a more truthful and personal lens. Ever Present will be on display at the AGWA until 18 April 2022 before travelling to the National Gallery of Singapore, where it will run from June 3 to September 25, 2022.
NOTE: The dates provided are current and speculative. Many Australian and international arts organisations remain closed in accordance with COVID-19 restrictions. Please refer to institutional websites for further details.
