14 June – 3 August
Cross Traffic: Art from Ali Curung, Ampilatwatja, Epenarra, Tennant Creek & Utopia
Via arterial routes and highways, from the Barkly Tablelands to Sandover, art from Ali Curung, Ampilatwatja, Epenarra, Tennant Creek and Utopia is marked by striking experimentation. Independent artists from outstations and community hubs diverge from established styles of Western Desert art – syncretic expression being a hallmark.
This exhibition presents an intersection of histories – some well-known in local memory, and others recognised by a niche of Aboriginal art scholars and collectors. Exhibited alongside those from a new wave of multi-generational artists, these paintings register a freedom of expression that has become a signature of the region.
Connected by geographic association and a keen sense of place, memory and myth, their distinct sensibility also invokes the cultural traffic of people crossing between communities and the arid plains and savannas of the Central and Northern Central Deserts.
Curated by Lévi McLean
Presented in collaboration with Artists of Ampilatwatja, Arlpwe Artists, Artists of the Barkly, Nyinkka Nyunyu and Utopia Art Centre.
Exhibition dates: 14 June – 3 August, 2025
Gallery hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 12-5pm. Free admission.
Exhibition reception: Thursday 3 July, 5.30pm – 7pm
Peggy Jones Napangardi, Untitled c2002, acrylic on canvas, 69.5 x 90cm. Courtesy of Nyinkka Nyunyu.
