The free, nationally touring show will feature work by National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award-winners.

From June 28, Telstra will launch a series of open-air art installations in collaboration with renowned Indigenous curator and Head of Programming at the Sydney Opera House, Rhoda Roberts AM, to help connect Australians to Indigenous art. The ambitious national show has been created to celebrate the 25-year partnership between Telstra and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA).

Michael Nelson Jagamara’s Kangaroo Ceremony and Big Lightning Storm

All the artists showcased are former recipients of the award – including Michael Nelson Tjakamarra, who took home the inaugural prize in 1984. As the art makes its way around the country, it will be welcomed in each state with a ceremony and performances by a variety of groups, focussing on dynamic storytelling via mixed mediums. 

Showcasing the talents of prestigious artists Laurie Nilsen, Brook Andrew and Tjakamarra as well as the ten artists who have created Larrakitj (Aboriginal memory poles), the collection will tour the country beginning in Perth, heading through Brisbane and Melbourne and ending in Sydney in late July. 

Laurie Nilsen’s Barbed Wire Emus

From Nilsen’s Barbed Wire Emus to Andrews’ huge suspended baubles, The Weight of History, the breadth of creative medium and aesthetic is wide, but with a focus on narrative and unity as a central theme. “At its heart, Indigenous art is about storytelling and bringing people together,” says Roberts of the exhibition, who is excited to showcase Indigenous art outside of gallery walls, in open spaces where it can easily be interacted with and enjoyed. 

Telstra General Manager, Indigenous Directorate Lauren Ganley highlights the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander work as a method of storytelling and way of reconnecting with Australia. The art that will tour around the country focuses on “telling the stories of who we are, how we lived and how we connect.” 

Full details of the tour can be found on the Telstra Website.