Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have existed on the continent of Australia for tens of thousands of years. Their art and traditions are among the oldest and richest in human history and is as alive today as it was thousands of years ago.

The designs, patterns and stories, taught to Indigenous Australians by the Ancestors, are reinforced and replicated through ritual, dance, song, body painting, rock engravings and paintings, and on domestic and ritual objects. As in the ancient past, art is inseparable from everyday life.

The art of contemporary Indigenous Australians takes many forms. Despite significant change and diversity, art retains an underlying unity of inspiration—the land and the peoples’ relationships with it. It is simultaneously connected to the past and engaged with the present, engaging with the world through actions which are lively, positive, political, social and creative.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art collection at the National Gallery of Australia is the largest in the world with over 7500 works. This dedicated display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art highlights the diversity, richness and excellence of the collection.

Gallery spaces are specifically designed for different geographic region or aspect of Indigenous art and, where possible, paintings and sculptures are illuminated overhead by natural daylight, like the light in which the works were created. 

Event page image: Image title: Ramingining Artists / Image caption: memorialpoles. 

 

Image title: Emily Kam Kngwarray / Image caption: Emily Kam Kngwarray

Image title: Christian Thompson / Image caption: Christian Bumbarra Thompson