Kingston Arts presents Water bodies, a major exhibition of contemporary First Peoples' art exploring the significance of water, climate change, Country and culture.
Presented across the Kingston Arts Precinct in Moorabbin from 3 July to 29 August, the exhibition features artworks by Nici Cumpston (Barkandji people), Mandy Quadrio (Trawlwoolway, Laremairamenner), Auntie Netty Shaw (Trawlwoolway, Tyereelore, Bunurong), Aunty Dyan Summers (Bunurong, Bass Strait Islander, Trawlwoolway), Judy Watson (Waanyi people), and Lisa Waup (Gunditjmara, TSI).
Through photography, moving image, weaving, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and new commissions, the artists share diverse perspectives on water and its importance to First Peoples communities.
The exhibition forms a key part of Kingston's recognition of NAIDOC Week and this year's theme, 50 Years of Deadly, which celebrates five decades of recognising and elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, culture and achievements.
Mayor Georgina Oxley said the exhibition was an important part of Kingston's NAIDOC Week program.
"Arts and culture help bring people together, and exhibitions like Water bodies give our community the opportunity to engage with different stories and perspectives," Cr Oxley said.
"As a council, we're proud to support opportunities for First Peoples' voices and experiences to be shared and celebrated.
"This year's NAIDOC Week theme, 50 Years of Deadly, recognises the achievements, strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over the past five decades.
"Water bodies showcases the work of outstanding First Peoples artists while highlighting the deep connections between water, Country and culture.
"I encourage our community to visit the exhibition and experience these powerful artworks for themselves."
The exhibition explores both large and small waterways, from the changing conditions of the Birrarung and Barka river systems and the decline of southern ocean kelp forests, through to the impacts of flooding events and changing conditions along local creeks and waterways.
Across the Kingston Arts Precinct, visitors will encounter Nici Cumpston's hand-coloured photographs in the Outdoor Lightbox Gallery, gallery installations and artworks throughout Kingston Arts Centre, and Judy Watson's video work projected nightly onto the Skybridge.
Nici Cumpston's Attesting II will be presented in the Outdoor Lightbox Gallery, featuring portraits of trees and significant sites within the backwaters and inland lake systems of the Barka (Murray) River.
The indoor galleries will showcase works by Mandy Quadrio, Auntie Netty Shaw, Aunty Dyan Summers, Judy Watson, Lisa Waup, and Nici Cumpston, while Judy Watson's video work water body will illuminate the Skybridge each evening, exploring Aboriginal and scientific histories connected to the waters of Meanjin (Brisbane).
Exhibition Details
Water bodies
3 July – 29 August 2026 (free entry)
Opening Event
Thursday 2 July, 6pm – 8pm
Location
Kingston Arts Precinct, Moorabbin
Artists
Nici Cumpston, Mandy Quadrio, Auntie Netty Shaw, Aunty Dyan Summers, Judy Watson, Lisa Waup.
To find out more about the exhibition and the artists, visit kingstonarts.com.au/water-bodies.
Image: Nici Cumpston, Oh my Murray Darling, 2019, archival pigment print on Hahnemühle paper, 75 x 175 cm. Courtesy the artist and Michael Reid Gallery Sydney + Berlin.
