Cultural alchemists

A Together In Art Pocket Exhibition curated by Erin Vink

Consistently defying expectations, these artists are ever-changing in their expression.

At the heart of their practice is the relentless pursuit of individual creative expression that is also reflective of their unique cultures.

Erin Vink is assistant curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales

AGNSW collection Yhonnie Scarce Death Zephyr 2017

Yhonnie Scarce reflects on historical injustices, specifically the British nuclear weapons testing program at Maralinga. In manufacturing the 2000 individually hand-blown glass yams, she mimics the extreme heat generated at bomb sites during explosions.

AGNSW collection Rona Panangka Rubuntja Kwatja (water) in the Finke River 2019

Rona Panangka Rubuntja draws on memories and humour in her visual storytelling. The pots she makes are an exciting and imaginative form of art unique to Ntaria (Hermmansburg).

AGNSW collection N Marawili Baratjala - lightning and the rock 2018

Noŋgirrŋa Marawili's striking use of pink is a form of recycling - she recovers pigments from used printer toner cartridges. She paints descriptively, and although she disavows any sacred intent, echoes of culture persist.

AGNSW collection Jonathan Jones blue poles 2004

Here, Jonathan Jones is interested in light and Aboriginal linework specific to south-eastern Australia. More broadly, with references to Jackson Pollock, Tony Tuckson and Gordon Bennett, he critiques the appropriation of First Nations art by Western abstract artists.

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AGNSW COLLECTION Karla Dickens Pound-for-Pound #6 2019

Karla Dickens uses found objects in her works to create immersive sensory experiences, with the old objects whispering to us their experiences of the past. From the installation A Dickensian Circus, these works celebrate the often-unknown Aboriginal performers of times gone by.

AGNSW collection Gunybi Ganambarr Gapu 2017

Never content to be restrained by convention, Gunybi Ganambarr repurposes discarded remnants from mining and building sites to consider how Country is owned, how it is shared, and how it is utilised.

AGNSW collection Esme Timbery Sydney Harbour Bridge 2002

The subjects and objects of Sydney embraced by 'La Per' women shell artists, including Esme Timbery, speak to the region's cultural realities and connection to Country. The Harbour Bridge became a popular motif for Timbery as a way of maintaining culture and providing buyers with an alternative understanding of the Sydney landscape.