Southern Exchange is honoured to present the work of some of the most dynamic and exciting Aboriginal artists at work in Australia today. We take pride in being able to offer Hong Kong audiences and collectors exclusive opportunities to appreciate and to purchase the work of Aboriginal artists who are highly recognised both in Australia, and internationally.
Since the mid twentieth century, while Hong Kong has carved out its position as an economic powerhouse on the world stage and seized international acclaim with its popular culture, Aboriginal artists have been working in the inhospitable centre of the Australian continent to successfully redefine their art to the modern world. The dynamic strength and integrity of the work has resulted in a major change in the perceptions about the value of Aboriginal art in every major market over the last half-century. Long marginalised and persecuted by "white" Australia, indigenous tribes people saw a shift in attitudes beginning in the 1970s.
In 1972 a fundamental shift in the population policy saw permanent camps and housing were established for indigenous people who wished to return to traditional Aboriginal lands in the desert. Aboriginal people began to regain control of their own space for the first time in decades. Artistic development flourished alongside the increased control that Aboriginal people had over their own destinies. This was in large part due to the work of Geoffrey Bardon, a white art teacher, who encouraged a community in Papunya to create pieces using their own traditional motifs and hieroglyphs on canvas and board, instead of attempting to create imagery and expression with colonial, western-style imagery.
Located 230 kilometres from Alice Springs, the small town of Papunya was ironically one of the last communities to be established under the Federal government's 1960s assimilation policy. As the community rediscovered and embraced its artistic self, modern paintings on boards and canvas began to emerge. The Papunya community received the earliest attention from larger art dealers and the work soon won international acclaim. Aboriginal art is an integral part of the artist's spiritual life, and contains representative symbols to explain a story or journey stemming from the Aboriginal practice of Dreaming that is an all pervasive part of Aboriginal culture and lifestyle. In their Dreamtime, some Aboriginal tribes believe that they are following their ancestors who created and shaped the landscapes of today. Other tribes focus on supernatural beings which control vital areas of life such as rainfall and fertility.
Dreamtime is not just a historical concept. It is a continuous and elevated level of spiritual awareness which defines, explains and develops indigenous customs and rituals in a continuum. As such, the paintings that are being produced today form part of the further development of Aboriginal folklore and make the stunning creations a form of "living" art. Today, Aboriginal artists are recognised for the decorative qualities, precision of technique and the rarity of their diverse and beautiful works, which at the same time maintain an unbreakable link with their ancient history and their contemporary experience.
Presented by Southern Exchange
