North by North-west: Contemporary Indigenous Art from the Queensland Art Gallery Collection

Until 3 April 2005
Admission free Gallery 2

This display features art from Cape York in Queensland to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Mimih spirits by Yolgnu artists from Maningrida in Arnhem Land are decorated with rarrk ― fine cross-hatching indicating special spiritual energy. The art of the Tiwi people from Bathurst Island and Melville Island is based on 'Jilimara' or good design ― patterns originally used as body painting for ceremonies, now a rich repertoire for Tiwi art.

The innovative women painters of Peppimenarti, off the northern coast near Darwin, are translating stitches from weaving into large colourful paintings, in one of the most exciting developments in contemporary Indigenous art; and from the Kimberley region come exquisite paintings using ochres on canvas. These artistic achievements derive from knowledge of Country and culture, but are also completely contemporary.