Visions of a Continent

First major U.S. exhibition of art by indigenous women of Australia is on view at the Hood

The Hood Museum of Art presents Dreaming Their Way: Australian Aboriginal Women Painters, a groundbreaking exhibition of paintings by 33 indigenous female artists from across the Australian continent. On view through December 10, Dreaming Their Way is the first exhibition of its kind in the United States.

Featuring intensely colorful canvases and intricate bark paintings, the exhibition demonstrates these women's bold and often experimental interpretations of their cultural heritage. Works from renowned artists such as Dorothy Napangardi and the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye, as well as emerging painters such as Abie Loy and Regina Wilson, express the indigenous relationship to the land, understanding of the world and how it came into being, and sense of obligation to their culture. While indigenous art is difficult to characterize as a whole, similarities in palette, dotting styles, use of symbols, and themes do appear in certain geographic areas. Many artists have developed distinctive personal styles as well.

Opening events include a free public lecture by Fred Myers of New York University on Wednesday, October 11, at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow in Kim Gallery. A public conference on indigenous art in Australia today will follow on Thursday, October 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Dartmouth 105.

This exhibition was organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Its presentation at the Hood is generously funded by the George O. Southwick 1957 Memorial Fund, the Marie-Louise and Samuel R. Rosenthal Fund, and the William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. Hall Fund.

By SHARON REED

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