Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia

Media Kit

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Contact

For general enquiries, please contact

Jessica Barnes
Senior Communications & Content Officer, Touring
T +61 2 6240 6431
E media@nga.gov.au

'“Ever present” is a very powerful statement. It reminds me that my culture has been here for countless generations, and I am not going anywhere. I am a result of my ancestors who walked before me and I am a vessel that will continue to teach the generations to come so that our culture, our people will be forever present.’

- Alick Tipoti, Kala Lagaw Ya people

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia surveys historical and contemporary works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia. Drawn from the national collection and Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, the works included in this exhibition bridge time and place and are interconnected through story and experience.

Although Ever Present is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, it does not shy away from Australia’s complex histories. The works challenge stereotypes about First Nations people and what defines their art. 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with wit, satire and juxtaposition to confront viewers and to encourage conversations that are essential to dispute outdated myths and ideologies.

Ever Present includes the work of over 170 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: First Peoples Art of Australia is a National Gallery Touring Exhibition supported by Wesfarmers Arts.

Touring program

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Senior Gija artist Mabel Juli and her story of forbidden love

Read Time 10 minutes
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Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia
Learning Resource

a bright orange, black, red and white dot painting. There is a figure with lots of legs, like a spider, and many circles above and below.
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia
Touring Portal

Educator Program

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia
Online Teacher Professional Learning

Image of artist Julie Gough standing with her work comprised of a bunch of wooden spears

Online professional learning session for primary and secondary school teachers.

Touring Exhibition

Ever Present
First Peoples Art of Australia

On Tour

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, New Zealand
29 Jul – 29 Oct 2023

Drawn from the national collection and Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art.

First Nations

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curator Tina Baum shares the art, histories and realities of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.

Read Time 21 minutes