Arne areye - All the Plants

Presented by Irrkerlantye Arts
&

Ngarlurgu - All of Us

Presented by Ceduna Aboriginal Arts and Culture Centre
2 May - 20 July 2008

Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute is pleased to announce the impending opening of two exhibitions Arne areye - All the Plants and Ngarlurgu - All of Us. Both exhibitions celebrate the connection Aboriginal people have with their respective homelands, the inspiration that the landscape provides and the respect they have for their country.

Arne areye - All the Plants is a joyful exhibition celebrating the Arrernte plant world of Central Australia. Featuring colourful interpretations of bush foods and medicines, highlighting the important roles which they play in everyday Arrernte life.   

The unique collection of paintings, from the Irrkerlantye Artists of the Central and Eastern Arrernte regions living in Alice Springs, Amoonguna and surrounding outstations, showcase the extraordinary depth of knowledge of bush foods and bush medicines held by the artists. Over 30 different plant species are represented in their paintings which exude a strong connection to land and culture. Many portray experiences of themselves and family gathering food and medicine from the Arrernte landscape.

Ngarlurgu - All of Us celebrates the unique diversities and the connections they have with the landscapes surrounding Ceduna on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. The artists work from the Ceduna Aboriginal Arts and Culture Centre where some are strongly influenced by the sparse land to the West, which marks the beginning of the Nullabor Plain, while others are connected to Australia's largest untouched virgin mallee spinifex land to the North. To the South of the region, artists have connections to the pristine ocean of the Great Australian Bight and to the East artists share heritage connections with the ranges and the coastline towards Port Lincoln.

Like the work of the Irrkerlantye artists, the art from Ceduna strongly reflects the diverse environment of the region through intense knowledge and connections to the landscapes. Both exhibitions give a true sense of the respect shared between the artists and their country.