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.

Milky Way Seven Sisters Dreaming by Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi is on view at
the Hood. (Photo by Will Owen)
|
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
|