Beyond the City, Toward the Continent

In the art of master carver Pedro Wonaeamirri, a mixture of yellow, orange and brown markings form a distinctive pattern mirroring the colours and tones of Melville Island, where the artist lives and creates. In the 2008 work Tunga, Wonaeamirri’s intricate painting on a stringybark eucalyptus basket reflects an innate connection with the environment: natural materials are the basis of his practice. This piece also embodies the artistic vitality and reciprocity between people and Country found in TIWI.

Showing at the National Gallery of Victoria (The marks the largest collection of work ever assembled from the Tiwi Islands. Taking place in Melbourne, which has been physically cut off from Country, regions and experiences due to ongoing lockdowns, opens a space for engaging with First Nations culture in both poetic and practical ways. It reconnects Westernised spaces with culture from across our vast continent.