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The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art

Abstract Aboriginal painting of white lines on a black background
Emily Kam Kngwarray Anmatyerr c. 1910–96 Anwerlarr Anganenty (Big Yam Dreaming) (detail) 1995 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 291.1 x 801.8 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Presented through The Art Foundation of Victoria by Donald and Janet Holt and family, Governors, 1995. © The Estate of Emily Kam Kngwarray / Copyright Agency, Australia 2023
Sep 5, 2026 - Jan 3, 2027
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR
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General accessibility

Overview

This eye-opening exhibition introduces North American audiences to the diverse and distinct visual iconographies of Indigenous Australia, which is made up of more than 250 distinct Indigenous nations. Explore this rich and living history of creativity through over 100 works made by more than 130 artists. Drawn exclusively from the collection of Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, The Stars We Do Not See offers a rare opportunity to experience some of the most significant examples of modern and contemporary Australian Indigenous art. Charting watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late 19th century to the present, this exhibition reveals a rich history of creativity that predates the arrival of the British.

Abstract Aboriginal painting with pink, red, orange, yellow, and brown dots and lines
Wingu Tingima, Pitjantjatjara c. 1917–2010 Minyma Tjuta (Seven Sisters) 2006 synthetic polymer paint on canvas 138.0 x 205.0 cm. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased with funds donated by Supporters and Patrons of Indigenous Art, 2006 © Wingu Tingima / Copyright Agency, Australia 2023

See the work of trailblazing painters including Anmatyerr superstar Emily Kam Kngwarray and Senior Yolŋu artist Gulumbu Yunupiŋu (after who the exhibition is titled) along with contemporary innovators Brook Andrew, Destiny Deacon, and Betty Muffler. Witness Australian Indigenous art in all its forms, from ochre bark paintings and experimental weavings to immersive sound and video art and powerful photographs.

Aboriginal abstract art with earth tone browns and reds
Alec Mingelmanganu Woonambal c. 1910–81 Wanjina 1980 earth pigments and natural binder on canvas 128.1 x 91.4 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased from Admission Funds, 1990 © The Estate of Alec Mingelmanganu, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency / Copyright Agency, Australia

Organized by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Art, Washington in association with the Denver Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum.

The exhibition is curated by Myles Russell-Cook, former senior curator of Australian and First Nations art, National Gallery of Victoria and current artistic director & CEO of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. In Portland, the exhibition presentation will be coordinated by Kathleen Ash-Milby, Senior Curator of Native American Art.

Acknowledgements

National Tour Sponsor

Bank of America

Presenting Sponsor

  • William G. Gilmore Foundation / Mary Lee Boklund

Lead Sponsors

  • Roy D. Johnson
  • Ronni Lacroute Fund of Oregon Community Foundation
  • Pat and Trudy Ritz

Major Sponsors

  • Ameriprise Financial
  • The Menashe Family
  • The Robert Lehman Foundation
  • Grace Serbu and Ivan Gold
  • Greg and Cathy Tibbles
  • Bill and Helen Jo Whitsell

Sponsors

  • Chita Becker
  • Bonnie Serkin and William Emery
  • Janet Williamson

Supporters

  • Cascadia Foundation
  • Sally Gibson
  • April Knapp
  • Barbara Kommer and Kurt Koenig
  • Claire McCarthy in memory of David Garets
  • Saffron Fields
  • Ms. Marcy Schwartz
  • Rev. Richard B. Thompson
  • Cheryl Tonkin
  • Priscilla Bernard Wieden in loving memory of Dan Wieden

Friends

  • Pamela Lichty
  • Kelcy M. Whitman Fund of the Hamilton County Community Foundation

Partners

  • Deborah Bergman
  • Christopher and Tracy Keys

Media Sponsor

  • KGW

Hotel Partner

  • Ritz-Carlton, Portland