Bark Salon opens at NGV Australia, celebrating First Nations art

Bark Salon opens at NGV Australia, celebrating First Nations art

A bold new exhibition has arrived at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia in Melbourne. Opened on October 12, 2024, Bark Salon features more than 160 bark paintings from the NGV Collection, presenting a striking display of First Nations artistry. 

Hung from floor to ceiling, the large-scale exhibition reimagines the traditional European salons of the 18th and 19th centuries, providing an Australian twist on a classic format.

Held in the dedicated First Nations galleries, Wurrdha Marra, the exhibition invites audiences to explore the evolution of bark painting, from figuration to abstraction, and its development over the last eight decades. 

 

 

Bark Salon features work from renowned artists such as Barrupu Yunupiŋu, ’Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu, John Mawurndjul, and Rosie Karadada, presenting bark paintings from communities across Australia, including Yirrkala, Melville Island, and Maningrida.

“This extraordinary Bark Salon display highlights the breadth of talent, creativity, and storytelling of First Peoples artists from across the country,” Victorian Creative Industries Minister Colin Brooks said. 

 

We encourage all Victorians, and visitors to our creative state, to make their way to NGV Australia for this unique and free display.

 

The exhibition traces the rich history of bark painting as a means of connecting to Country, using materials sourced from stringybark trees and traditional ochre pigments. 

However, contemporary artists have also experimented with new mediums, such as acrylic paints, to create vibrant depictions of land, sea, and sky.

“The NGV has been working with First Nations communities to build one of the country’s most significant collections of bark painting that represents the dynamism and diversity of the art form,” NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM said, emphasising the gallery’s commitment to showcasing First Nations art.

Bark Salon is free to attend and offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the powerful cultural narratives of First Nations artists. •

For more information, visit the NGV website.


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