Celebrating NAIDOC Week With Twin Exhibitions
NAIDOC Week 2021 has commenced! From July 4th to 11th, Australia is taking a moment to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme is Heal Country! – a call for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction. 
Held each year in Juiy, NAIDOC Week gets bigger each year. Communities celebrate it in their own ways, often through events, education and uplifting local Indigenous-owned businesses. As a member of the Indigenous Art Code, we’re proud at Bluethumb to represent so many incredible Aboriginal artists and art centres to help amplify their voices.
To celebrate the many talented Aboriginal artists on Bluethumb, we’ve put together two exhibitions of their work at our Melbourne and Adelaide galleries. In Melbourne, our front gallery has been transformed art-market-styel into a veritable feast of vibrant pieces from Papulankutja Artists and Warlukurlangu Artists. The star of the the display is the central figure from Tjanpi Desert Weavers – an emotive woman (who is almost life-size!) – by Roma Butler, winner of the Hedland Art Prize 2018 and a finalist in this year’s NATSIAA. After spending a few months keeping her company in the gallery, our Melbourne team have become quite attached to her. She’s basically one of the team now!
Affectionately known as bae in the office, this woven female sculpture is a showstopper in our NAIDOC Week exhibition!
Our Adelaide NAIDOC Week display highlights incredible sculptural works from Tjanpi Desert Weavers and some of our collectable Indigenous artists, such as Bob Gibson and Hubert Pareroultja. Gallery manager Amelia and the team have done an incredible job suspending woven Tjanpi baskets from the ceiling, and tucking artworks into every nook and cranny imaginable! Make sure to stop by weekdays to see for yourself.
So much Tjanpi Desert Weavers goodness in Radelaide!
New etchings by Bluethumb Art Prize 2020 winners Hubert Pareroultja on display in Adelaide.
Warakurna 370-21 by Dianne Golding, who won the sculpture award in the Bluethumb Art Prize 2020.
Interested in supporting Indigenous artists and acquiring some stunning art of your own? Shop our Aboriginal Art Collection or check out the curation of works on display for NAIDOC Week in both our galleries here.
thanks for the blog