ngaratya (together, us group, all in it together) is a fresh and vibrant exhibition coming to Mildura Arts Centre this month, bringing together six Barkandji/Barkindji artists - Nici Cumpston, Zena Cumpston, David Doyle, Kent Morris, Adrianne Semmens, and Raymond Zada - exploring and illuminating the artists' homelands and Ancestral connection through newly commissioned works.
Featuring more than 50 works of art by contemporary First Nations artists and creators, ngaratya meaning 'together, us group, all in it together' is a contemporary capsule of stories, memories and conversations as shown through sculpture, prints, moving image, photography, writing and design.
Barkandji curator and photographer Nici Cumpston OAM and her sister, writer, researcher, and storyteller Zena Cumpston have worked together to co-curate, as well as make their own works as part of this collective exhibition.
They bring together Barkindji/Malyangapa carver, educator, and poet David Doyle, Barkindji photographer Kent Morris, Barkandji performer, dance maker and educator Adrianne Semmens and Barkandji multimedia artist and broadcaster Raymond Zada.
Mildura Mayor and Councillor for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Helen Healy said ngaratya would provide an opportunity for local community to explore part of our broader region's rich First Nations stories through art.
"The Barkandji/Barkindji are the people of the Baaka (Darling River), culturally responsible for the waterway and vast Country spanning more than 100,000 square kilometres across western New South Wales," Cr Healy said.
"Through the works of these talented artists we'll be able to explore the plight of the Darling River, the role of waterways as the lifeblood of our region, Ancestral connection and cultural continuance among a whole raft of stories related to the Barkandji/Barkindji people and culture."
The exhibition will run from Saturday July 19 to Sunday August 31.
Works in a variety of mediums are presented in this exhibition including carving, bronze casting, weaving, string-making, linocuts, etched acrylic, hand-coloured photographs, photographic installations, moving image, screen dance and soundscapes.
Sharing their journey and story in curating this exhibition, Nici and Zena Cumpston said:
"This exhibition is an exercise in custodial responsibility – we are sharing these stories to introduce people to our Country. This is an opportunity to learn about and to celebrate our homelands, so we can together, be a part of the solutions needed to keep people and Country healthy."
The six artists spent time travelling together on Country, engaging with cultural landscapes, their Elders, community, and each other, resulting in a rich, immersive installation that comes straight from the heart. This exhibition offers a dynamic portal into Country and connection.
ngaratya is a Bunjil Place Gallery exhibition, curated by Nici Cumpston and Zena Cumpston, touring with NETS Victoria.
Explore the digital catalogue: ngaratya.com.au
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Nici Cumpston travels along the backwaters and inland lakes of the Murray Darling basin to create large-scale hand-coloured black and white photographs. Through these works she shares stories of ongoing Aboriginal occupation of this land. By visiting new sites alongside the other artists, she has developed a new series of photographs. Her expertise as a curator is guiding and supporting the artists to develop their ideas and present dynamic new artistic commissions for the exhibition.
Zena Cumpston is a writer, storyteller, and researcher and will present her artistic practice publicly for the first time as part of this exhibition. Zena's work centres around her interest in plant knowledge. Through her multi-disciplinary storytelling she illuminates the innovation of her people, shining a light on the ways Aboriginal peoples have used plants for nutrition, technologies, and medicines over many thousands of generations.
David Doyle is a carver, poet and educator creating works of art across a diverse range of media. His ongoing research into traditional methods of harvesting and processing traditional food sources provides great inspiration for his visual arts practice.
Kent Morris creates photographs, photographic installations and moving image works that reconstruct the built environment to reveal the continuing presence and patterns of Aboriginal history, of culture and knowledge embedded in the contemporary Australian landscape, despite ongoing colonial interventions in the physical and political environments.
Adrianne Semmens is a dance practitioner with experience working across the arts, education, and community sectors. In her multi-disciplinary practice, she explores identity and connection to place that is enabled through embodied movement and text.
Raymond Zada is a visual artist working primarily with photography, printmaking, video, and digital design. Through innovative techniques he examines and presents the complexities of Australian history and the disconnect between language and reality.
This project has been assisted by the Australian Government's Visions of Australia program, as well as receiving assistance from NETS Victoria's Exhibition Development Fund, supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
