A new exhibition featuring some of Australia’s most important Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists will open at Hazelhurst Regional Arts Centre on November 11.
Weapons for the Soldier will bring together 41 important artists who have made new work to examine complex and varied responses to weaponry, warfare, and their connection to protecting land and country.
Twenty seven of the artists are from the art centres of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara (APY) Lands of central Australia.
The 14 invited artists are some of Australia’s most important Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists.
They include Ben Quilty, George Gittoes, Shaun Gladwell, Alex Seton, Jonathan Jones and Danie Mellor.
It is the first Anangu-curated exhibition involving non-Indigenous artists.
Belinda Hanrahan, director, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, said it was an ambitious and important exhibition for Hazelhurst.
‘‘We are pleased to be able to showcase new works by some of Australia’s most important Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists,’’ Hanrahan said.
‘‘Weapons for the Soldier will foster dialogue around multi-geographical and multi-generational fights for land, country and freedom experienced by Australians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, as well as the Indigenous experience in Australian military history.’’
The ground-breaking project was initiated by the young men of the APY Lands and led by Vincent Namatjira (son of Albert Namatjira) along with Aaron Ken, Derek Thompson, Anwar Young and Kamurin Young who have been supported by senior artists Willy Kaika Burton, Ray Ken, Peter Mungkuri, Mumu Mike Williams and Frank Young.
‘‘The Tjilpies (senior men) from the APY Lands have spent their lives protecting Tjukurpa (culture), country and family,’’ Young said.
‘‘For Anangu this is the most important thing,’’ said Frank Young, Chairman APY Council.
‘‘From working with other artists we have found that there is common ground here.
‘‘Connection to country and protecting country is something that artists from all over Australia make work and share stories about. This has become the heart of the project.’’
Weapons for the Anangu Soldier is a subject that senior APY artist Ray Ken has explored in his paintings throughout his career.
With his permission and encouragement, along with the support of other senior men who often paint weapons and stories of conflict, young Indigenous artists have explored what it means to be a soldier today and to fight in order to protect your land and culture.
The ambitious scale of Weapons for the Soldier follows on from the success of the major APY Lands project held at Hazelhurst in 2016, Nganampa Kililpil: Our Stars.
Weapons for the Soldier opens at Hazelhurst Arts Centre, 782 Kingsway, Gymea, at 10am on Sunday, November 11 and will mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice which ended the First World War (1914–18).
The exhibition continues until February 3, 2019.
