A special exhibition celebrating and exploring the cross-medium practice of the women artists from the Aboriginal community of Ikuntji, located in Australia’s Central Desert.
Tjungu Tjukurrpa – Paris, voici nos Rêves ! is Ikuntji Artists’ first group show in France’s capital city, and will be launched in conjunction with the Ikuntji Artists delegation’s visit in Paris in September 2022, on Saturday 10 September at 18:00.
It presents a superb selection of artworks and objects exploring various media, from paintings and prints to textiles, showcase established and younger artists, and is accompanied by an exhibition publication and public events.
Practical information:
Dates : 10 September – 15 October 2022
Special events:
- Saturday 10 September at 18:00 – Opening Ceremony, in the presence of the artists (see details)
- Monday 12 September at 18:00 – Floor talk, in the presence of the artists (see details)
Venue:
Espace New Angles – Five Seeds
8, passage du Grand Cerf
Paris 2e – France
Passage entrance: 145 rue Saint Denis or opposite 49 rue Montorgueil
Métro: Les Halles – Etienne Marcel – Sentier
Admission: free entry
Opening times:
- Thursday – Friday: 17:00 – 20:00
- Saturday: 11:00 – 18:00
- And by appointment
Contact: for any question, to receive the media package or the price list, please email info@idaia.com.au or info@idaia.fr
Catalogue: click here
Artist Pam Brown painting in Ikuntji – Courtesy Ikuntji Artists
Located in the Aboriginal community of Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji), in the heart of Australia’s Red Centre, Ikuntji Artists is an Aboriginal-owned cooperative established in 1992, the first created by women artists in the deserts of central Australia.
The artists draw their inspiration from their personal ngurra (country) and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming), interpreting the ancestral stories by using traditional symbols, icons and motifs. They work across a wide range of media, mainly producing acrylic paintings, and since 2016, have developed a range of fabric designs exploring a multitude of approaches and techniques.
Throughout the 30 years of its existence, the art movement in Ikuntji has flourished and constantly left its mark in the fine art world. At the same time the artist cooperative has been the cultural hub of the community, maintaining, reinforcing and reinvigorating cultural practices through art-making.
“Tjungu Tjukurrpa” means “Our Dreamings” in Luritja, the local Aboriginal language, and was suggested by the cooperative for the exhibition title. The Dreamings are traditional ancestral stories explaining the creation of the world, which are passed down from generation to generation and are present in, or associated with, all the artists’ creations included in the exhibition.
From vibrating colourful paintings to bold evocative designs on fabrics, the artists present their unique vision of their homelands and their associated dreamings, spanning hundreds of kilometres across Australia’s central-western deserts. While seemingly abstract, the works refer to ancestral beings and often depict specific landscapes of the region, such as undulating sandhills, blooming bush flowers, colour-changing rocks, sacred trees and ancestral women dancing or travelling.
The incredible dynamism of Ikuntji Artists is reflected in the selection of artworks, illustrating the rich diversity of media, styles and techniques developed by the artists.
The selection includes acrylic paintings, prints, textiles, photographs, textiles accessories from the IDAIA x Ikuntji Artists Collection, as well as handmade crafts.
The exhibited artworks and objects will be available for sale to generate revenues for the artists and the cooperative, and to contribute to support the ethical and sustainable Indigenous Australian art sector.
Exhibition organised by IDAIA in collaboration with Ikuntji Artists, in partnership with New Angles – Five Seeds and with the support of the Embassy of Australia to France.