ABUNDANT ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN THE CITY
Perth is home to some of the finest museums and galleries in Australia, and all are within easy access of COMO The Treasury. Here are a few of the must-see galleries when visiting the city:
ART GALLERY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SIX SEASONS GALLERY
The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), situated in the CBD Arts Precinct, holds nearly 3,000 works offering insights into Indigenous art, life, culture and experience. The new Six Seasons Gallery is dedicated to the display and interpretation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from the State Art Collection.
The current exhibition, “Outside: Matters of the Heart in Indigenous Art”, includes works by celebrated Aboriginal artists such as Shane Pickett, Lance (Tjyllyungoo) Chad, Danie Mellor, Brenda L. Croft, Angelina George and Lin Onus.
Another exhibition at AGWA, “WA Journey”, is made up of pieces by non-Indigenous and Indigenous artists that often tell conflicting stories. It brings together works from 1920 to the present, and demonstrates the shifting approaches to art as it intersects with a changing culture, political scene and environment.
(artgallery.wa.gov.au)
ABORIGINAL ART GALLERY, KINGS PARK
The Aboriginal Art Gallery is situated on the eastern flank of Mount Eliza, under the Kaarta Gar-up Lookout, with views across the Perth skyline. This unique space gives visitors the opportunity to view a wide selection of paintings, artefacts, craft and musical instruments.
More than 230 artists hailing from various artistic communities are represented, including works from Nyoongar Country,
Utopia, Ngukurr Community on the banks of the Roper river, and all regions of Western Australia. “Aboriginal art, while fulfilling its traditional role, is now also being used by artists to express and describe the contemporary issues impacting their lives,” says curator Judy Daly. “Visitors experience many aspects of Aboriginal art and culture, and always leave with a better understanding of the people, places and stories behind the works.”
(aboriginalgallery.com.au)
TUNBRIDGE GALLERY, COTTESLOE
This fascinating gallery has been operating since 2009 and has recently moved to a new space in Perth’s beachside suburb of Cottesloe. The gallery stocks many paintings and prints from northern and central Australia. It includes paintings on canvas, bark paintings, wood sculpture and baskets from Arnhem
Land and the Tiwi Islands. Owner Julienne Penny says all the works of art on show are sourced from art centres owned and run by Aboriginal communities: “We are committed to showing quality work, encouraging emerging artists, and educating our clients about all aspects of Aboriginal art and culture.” Tunbridge Gallery also conducts a flying tour to some of the most important centres of Aboriginal art in Australia. Guests can meet the artists, watch them work and learn about the inspiration and stories behind their creations. They also enjoy a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Western Australian landscape as they flit between the outback communities. (tunbridgegallery.com.au)
JAPINGKA ABORIGINAL ART, FREMANTLE
Japingka Aboriginal Art gallery is in the historic port city of Fremantle, 13 miles south of Perth. Located on two levels of an 1890s warehouse building in the city’s West End, Japingka hosts an extraordinary collection of Indigenous pieces. The stockrooms hold more than 4,500 artworks.
The ground floor showcases artworks by leading Aboriginal artists, while the two upstairs galleries show 12 new exhibitions per year. One striking piece called Kuru
Ala by the Women’s Collaborative tells the Dreamtime story of the Seven Sisters, or Pleiades star cluster. “Many people go out into the desert and think there is nothing there but emptiness,” says the director, David Wroth; “but there is such cultural richness, vibrancy and life to be found everywhere. This continues to be expressed through beautiful Indigenous art produced by remarkable people.” Fremantle is within easy access of Perth’s Central Business District by road and rail. (japingkaaboriginalart.com)
LINTON & KAY GALLERIES
Linton & Kay Galleries has three studios in the Perth metropolitan area: at Subiaco, Mandoon Estate Winery in the Swan Valley, and an impressive new facility in the rapidly growing new Arts Precinct at West Perth. These contemporary galleries present carefully-curated exhibitions featuring some of Australia's most accomplished artists.
Two of the most striking works at the Subiaco venue are untitled pieces by the late Paddy Lewis Japanangka and Yannima Pikarli Tommy Watson. There are many more such works to be viewed at Linton & Kay, with directors Linton Partington and Gary Kay producing many exhibitions featuring both established and emerging artists from their extensive network of creatives. (lintonandkay.com.au)
Visits to these galleries can be booked through the concierge at COMO The Treasury. Tunbridge Gallery flying tours, staged in June each year, must be booked well in advance through Julienne Penny at Tunbridge Gallery.