In a first for the area, Lismore Regional Gallery will present a touring exhibition from the prestigious National Gallery of Australia.

Body Language is a major travelling exhibition developed by the National Gallery of Australia, featuring works created by more than thirty artists which explores the cultural identity of Australia’s diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Director of Lismore Regional Gallery, Brett Adlington is proud that Lismore is hosting such a prestigious exhibition.

“The National Gallery of Australia has almost 160,000 works of art in its care and holds the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander material.

"It is therefore, really exciting for Lismore Regional Gallery to be sharing this collection with local audiences for the very first time.

"This is an incredibly rich exhibition, depicting the diversity of contemporary First Nations practice,” Mr Adlington said.

Kelli Cole, Curator Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, National Gallery of Australia said identity is a source of strength and resilience for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

Kelli Cole with art from Warwick Thornton: Way of the Ngangkari

“There are many ways in which we identify, what we believe in, how we look, how we feel and how we see ourselves in society and language is fundamental to the expression of our cultural identity.

Before the arrival of the British colonisers in 1788 there were over 250 Indigenous Australian languages, including 800 dialects, but today those numbers have dramatically declined to under 50 spoken languages.

“Aboriginal people traditionally painted on rock surfaces, barks, on the body, engraved symbols in scar trees to tell the stories of ancestors and creation.

"We drew symbols in the sand representing maps, waterholes and food to teach about hunting and cultural knowledge.

"Symbols are an essential part of a long artistic tradition in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and remains the visual form to retain and record significant information.

“As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, we did not have a written language, but our oral stories were shared throughout generations keeping our culture alive.

"Body Language explores the iconography of language as expressed through symbols and patterns and includes works that explore themes such as identity or representation, mark making, spiritual beings and Ceremony within song and dance." Ms Cole said.

Featuring Artists: Brook Andrew, Lyndsay Bird Mpetyane, Mavis Bolton, Jeremiah Bonson, Robert Campbell Jnr, Robert Ambrose Cole, Rose Graham, Josephine Grant Nappangarti, Philip Gudthaykudthay, Queenie Kemarre, Mary Kemarre, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Arone Raymond Meeks, Butcher Joe Nangan, Arthur Koo'ekka Pambegan Jnr, Wally Petyarr, Prince of Wales, Angelina Pwerle, Reko Rennie, Phyllis Ricky, Elizabeth Riley, Jean Riley, Damien Shen, Joan Nancy Stokes, Jimmy Thaiday, Warwick Thornton, Aubrey Tigan, Alick Tipoti, Evonne Tompson, David Wallace, Judy Watson, Nawurapu Wunungmurra.

BODY LANGUAGE: A touring exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia, is showing at the Lismore Regional Gallery from 29 August – 8 November at 11 Rural St, Lismore.

Admission to Lismore Regional Gallery is a suggested $5 donation.

Gallery opening hours: Wednesday 10am - 4pm, Thursday 10am – 6pm, Friday 10am - 4pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am to 2pm. Monday & Tuesday closed.

Lismore Regional Gallery has a CovidSafe plan in place, and for more information visit www.lismoregallery.org