Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia

The National Gallery of Australia is proud to acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people as the Traditional Owners of the land, waterways, and airways of which Kamberri is situated. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present, and emerging, and give our thanks for their continuing care and custodianship of this Country.

On behalf of all who view these works of art, we share our gratitude to the many Nations of which the Everpresent artists belong to. We’re thankful for their generosity and openness in sharing their stories, communities, identities, cultures, and art.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this resource contains the images and names of artists who have passed away. Where possible, permission has been sought to include these artists.

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia is a survey of ancestral and recent works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the continent. The diverse range of works bridge people and place and are interconnected through story and experience. They are testament to First People’s identity, resilience, pride, diversity, strength, and ongoing links to Country, family, community, culture, and history.

The 12 works of art within this Learning Resource are not only a small sample of the exhibition, but of the richness of First Nations art. Just as the exhibition is, the resource has been arranged into six interlinking themes: Ancestors + Creators, Country + Constellations, Culture + Ceremony, Trade+ Influence, Community + Family, and Resistance + Colonisation.