Through generations of artistic tradition from the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin, journeying south to Ntaria (Hermannsburg) and sweeping across the southern Gibson desert, the exhibition ‘North by North-West’ at the Queensland Art Gallery traces the distinctive regional flavours that speak to both ancestral narratives and current social concerns.
The recognisable customary Tiwi style, Jilamara, which roughly translates to ‘good design’, is derived from body painting, decorative ceremonial bark baskets and parmajini (armbands). Its intricate patterning has been translated onto textiles and paper, and refined by each artist to reflect their aesthetic sensibilities, including the introduction of vibrant colour palettes (Jean Baptiste Apuatimi Tangini 2010 illustrated).
The Hermannsburg School artists, and the following generations who continue to paint though Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre, create artworks in the tradition of acclaimed Arrernte watercolourist Albert Namatjira (1902–59). In ‘North by North-West’, the watercolour landscapes of the Hermannsburg School (Elton Wirri Palm Valley 2013 illustrated) are joined by the provocative series ‘Homeless on my Homeland’. This group of plastic bags (Noreen Hudson I live at YIPIRINYA HOSTEL 2018‑19 illustrated), often used for storing bedding and linen, are emblazoned with slogans that bring attention to the fraught social and economic conditions that many Indigenous people face in remote areas.
Bold and abstract paintings from the Western Desert create a visual impact through their large scale and strong symbology. Lightning 1998 and Wild Yam 1998 (illustrated) by senior desert artist Mr Jagamara feature motifs that were revisited throughout his celebrated career, offering an electric and vivid depictions of culturally significant narratives. The delicate, repeated lines in George Tjungurrayi’s Untitled (Mamultjulkulnga) 2007 (illustrated) have the effect of an optical illusion. This linework can be traced to a pivotal period in Pintupi and Western Desert painting, when hard concentric shapes were replaced with a repetition of straight lines, whether solid or dotted as seen here.
Katina Davidson is Curator, Indigenous Australian Art, QAGOMA
North by North-West’ celebrates the diversity of styles, variety of forms and mediums, and the overarching desire to share and preserve culture demonstrated in the Gallery’s Collection by contemporary and historical artists alike, from these vast and remote regions of Australia.
‘North by North-West’ / Galleries 1 and 2, Queensland Art Gallery / 11 February 2023 – 2 March 2025
