The Art Gallery of Western Australia, National Gallery of Australia and Wesfarmers Arts are excited to announce the expansive touring exhibition Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia, opening on Thursday 9 December 2021 at The Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Drawn from the renowned collections of the National Gallery and The Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, this free exhibition surveys historical and contemporary works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia.

Ever Present features more than 100 works by 80 artists as it considers seven overarching and interlinked themes: Ancestors + Creators; Country + Constellations; Community + Family; Culture + Ceremony; Trade + Influence; Resistance + Colonisation; and Innovation + Identity. Together the works underline the ever-present existence of the First Peoples of Australia.

“Ever Present celebrates the creativity, diversity, strength, resilience and pride of early and contemporary Indigenous artists highlighting their artistic, cultural, social and political expressions that reinforce their time immemorial connections and their ever-present presence in this country,” said Tina Baum, Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, National Gallery.

From Albert Namatjira’s Ormiston Gorge, Timothy Cook’s Kulama, and Mabel Juli’s Wardal and Garnkeny to Julie Dowling’s Self-portrait: in our county, Michael Cook’s Broken Dreams #2 and Richard Bell’s Omega (Bell’s Theorem), the works in the exhibition traverse themes of identity, connection, Australia’s contested historical narratives, and the contemporary experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists practising today. Each piece revealing the determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to tell their stories in their own way.

Although a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, Ever Present does not shy away from Australia’s complex histories. The artists contest populist views of Australian history, using art as a tool of resistance and replacing physical weaponry with wit, satire and juxtaposition to confront viewers and encourage conversations that are essential to dispute outdated myths and ideologies.

Colin Walker, Director of The Art Gallery of Western Australia, said the exhibition is a highlight of the Gallery’s 2021-22 program. “The Art Gallery of Western Australia has for many decades brought the art and cultural material of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the people of Western Australia and indeed the nation. We’re delighted to continue with Ever Present – an outstanding exhibition celebrating the work of over 80 artists from some of the most profound art-making communities and areas across the country.”

Wesfarmers has long-held partnerships with The Art Gallery of Western Australia and the National Gallery. The Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art ranks as one of the pre-eminent corporate collections of Australian art. Wesfarmers Managing Director, Rob Scott said, “This significant exhibition results from our long-term and highly valued partnerships with both the National Gallery and The Art Gallery of Western Australia. Ever Present represents some of the most important historical and contemporary art produced in Australia and celebrates the central place that Indigenous art occupies in defining the contemporary face of Australia, both at home and to the world. We’re delighted to have the exhibition open here in Western Australia, before travelling overseas.”

Ever Present opens at The Art Gallery of Western Australia on 9 December 2021 in its only Australian showing and runs through till 18 April 2022. The exhibition then travels to the National Gallery Singapore, Singapore opening 3 June 2022 – 25 September 2022.

Featured artwork by Gary Lee

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