Exhibition celebrates culture

THE City of Greater Bendigo’s annual showcase of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art has taken over Dudley House for NAIDOC Week.

The Knuldoorong Art Exhibition, derived from the local word for ‘all or ‘everyone together’, features works of all styles including paintings, photography, sculpture, weaving and carving.

This year’s exhibition is also featured in the Capital Theatre foyer, which has two large paintings and three other works for public viewing.

Municipal First Nations art officer Janet Bromley said she’s very happy with this year’s display.

“It looks beautiful,” she said. “We’ve got some really creative people and some people who are really professional about what they do.

“We’ve got a big variety, it’s a good showcase of our people from here. These are all people who live in and around Bendigo.”

“For Aboriginal people, song, dance, and mark making is how we’ve communicated across Australia for thousands of years. It’s in our DNA and our kids need to see this sort of art and become a part of it.”

Palawa women from Tasmania, Georgina Riseley, has been involved in the Knuldoorong Art Exhibition for over 10 years, back when it was a volunteer-run event.

Her piece depicts turtles coming onto the shore to nest, representing culture travelling through generations.

“My mob are a matriarch mob so it’s about them passing on their culture to the next generation and leaders and that continuing momentum of having culture at the fore front of raising children,” she said.

“[Knuldoorong] is a great opportunity to show skills form weaving to painting and carving, it displays the culture that still remains in Australia for Aboriginal people.

“Each piece has a story around a particular person’s culture so it’s the sharing of that information.”

The exhibition closes on Sunday.