Congratulations to both Brian Robinson and Napolean Oui whose artworks were selected as part of the touring exhibition Saltwater Country.
Saltwater Country is a major exhibition project that presents new work by 16 contemporary Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to audiences, firstly on the Gold Coast and then touring internationally and nationally. The term ‘country’ has come to be understood as an all-encompassing word in English to explain the intrinsic nature of Aboriginal culture and creative expression as a reflection of the connectedness to land and place of birth. What is less understood is the equally strong cultural connectedness to the sea and water’s edge.
Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art practice is notably different from the contemporary painting movement that has emerged from the Western Desert. This exhibition seeks to capture that distinctive cultural and creative experience as artists reclaim histories, investigate their pasts and establish new ways of caring for country and community through their artistic practice.