previous Exhibitions
MICK WIKILYIRI Ngayuku Ngura - My Country, Apara Springs
Alcaston Gallery presents new work by important Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands artist Mick Wikilyiri in his sixth solo exhibition, Ngayuku Ngura - My Country, Apara Springs, presented with new work by his daughter Yaritji Young. Wikilyiri’s highly contemporary paintings reveal the artist’s intimate connection with his Country, Apara Springs, in the lands which surround Amata in the APY Lands of far north South Australia.
Wikilyiri’s striking imagery combined with a subdued and sophisticated tonal colour palette offers thoughtful and evocative depictions of the landscapes surrounding Amata, and of his Country, Apara Springs. As a respected elder in his community, Wikilyiri’s expressive paintings are a celebration of Anangu culture, as well as a means to protect cultural and environmental ties for future generations. This is exemplified by the profound influence and knowledge that Wikilyiri has imparted to his daughter, the celebrated artist Yaritji Young, whose practice offers her own understanding of her father’s Country and culture.
A leading senior artist at Tjala Arts, Wikilyiri has reached great artistic heights throughout his career including a major exhibition at the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, New South Wales in 2016 entitled Nganampa Kililpil – Our Stars, and in 2017 he contributed to two major collaborative projects, Kulata Tjuta - a work for Kunmanara (Gordon) Ingkatji - and the Kulata Tjuta Project, which were both featured in the Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. In the same year, he also contributed to a major collaborative painting Kulatangku angakanyini manta munu Tjukurpa which was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. In 2019 Wikilyiri was recognised as a finalist in the 36th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, and in 2020, his work was exhibited in Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes, Brittany, France. Wikilyiri has been collected by many major institutions in Australia and overseas including the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Parliament House Collection, Canberra; Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; and the Fondation Opale, Lens, Switzerland.
© The Artist, Tjala Arts and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne 2021
ALCASTON GALLERY - A CONTINUING CELEBRATION OF WOMEN
In 2024, Alcaston Gallery is once again proud to celebrate and advocate for International Women's Day.
This year's theme is Inspire Inclusion; to inspire a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment; to build a more inclusive world for all women; to invest in women and accelerate progress!
Alcaston Gallery has invested significantly in First Nations women artists - with rewards for the artists, financially and culturally, having a significant rippling effect for their families and ...
Rene Sundown •Ngura Tali - Sand Dune Country
Alcaston Gallery is thrilled to introduce respected senior Yankunytjatjara artist, Rene Sundown, in her debut exhibition with the gallery, Ngura Tali - Sand Dune Country.
Sundown is a senior artist and longstanding director of the Iwantja Art Centre in Indulkana, South Australia, whose practice is dedicated to passing on knowledge to future generations. Having exhibited in important national and international group exhibitions over the past decade, this will be Sundown’s ...
Alcaston Gallery Christmas Gifts Exhibition 2023•Limited edition PRINTS and WORKS ON PAPER
Alcaston Gallery Christmas Gifts Exhibition 2023 presents exceptional works on paper and limited edition prints from over thirty-five years of contemporary Australian First Nations art showcasing a selection of rare and special release works by important artists on exhibition at the Alcaston Gallery Exhibition Space, 84 William Street, Melbourne/Naarm from 29 November until 15 December 2023.
CLAY•Ben McKeown•Karen Mills•Dean Smith
Clay comes from the earth; in its many forms, textures and colours, clay harnesses our world’s enigmatic power, energy, and secret life force.
With its affinity to earth and water, clay is an accumulated matrix of plant, animal, and mineral; wet or dry, white or coloured, this natural material has been used since ancient times in the form of ochre in sacred ceremonies and for medicinal purposes, as well as a strong, pliable matter for utilitarian functions such as building, cooking and creating practical ...
Maringka Burton •Anumara Piti, Caterpillar Tjukurpa
Alcaston Gallery is delighted to present Anumara Piti, Caterpillar Tjukurpa, a solo exhibition by the revered Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Burton.
Burton is a highly respected artist and ngangkari (traditional healer), whose distinctive compositions have garnered wide national recognition and admiration; including exhibiting in The National 2021, a landmark exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, and being named as a finalist in the prestigious Wynne Prize, presented by the Art Gallery of NSW in 2021 and ...