Indigenart, The Mossenson Galleries are pleased to announce one of the most exciting contemporary exhibitions of 2006. Bringing together Indigenous artists from communities across Australia, White Australia explores the complex aesthetic, conceptual and cultural aspects of ‘white’ in Indigenous painting.

The exhibition opening will run from 2-4pm on Saturday 2 September 2006. The exhibition will be opened with remarks from Indigenous art expert, Dr Susan Lowish, Lecturer, School of Art History at the University of Melbourne.

Put simply, White Australia is an exhibition of ‘white’ paintings. Hand chosen from six of the nation’s leading artistic communities by Indigenart’s director, Dr Diane Mossenson, White Australia aims to explore the cultural and artistic connections that drive these vastly different artists to explore similar formal and conceptual themes. According to Dr Mossenson: “Drawing artists from the Kimberley, Arnhem Land, the Desert and the River Regions of New South Wales, White Australia shows Indigenous artists working at the cutting edge of artistic exploration, whilst remaining true to their rich cultural heritage. These works shimmer with a rare beauty that makes you reconsider the way that we, as Europeans have viewed this country.”

One of the inspirations for White Australia is the pioneering Pintupi artist Katungka Napanangka. Born around 1950 near Kintore in the Central Desert, Katungka uses white to explore the transitory nature of the sands of the desert’s salt-lakes. These powerful white works present a profound metaphor for both the continuity and fleeting nature of our existence.

Other senior artists included in White Australia include desert elder Kathleen Kngale of Utopia, senior Yirrkala painter Wuyal Manman Wirrpanda and renowned Kimberley artist Peggy Griffiths. Alongside these established artists, White Australia presents a newer generation of artistic explorers working at the forefront of innovative contemporary art practice. These include Ally Kemarre, Judy Mengil, Wally Pwerle, Leonie Binge,Thelma Bartman, Phyllis Ningamara, Bingurr Wirrpanda, Aunty Joy Duncan, Aunty May Hinch .

At the heart of all the works assembled in White Australia is an invitation: a call into the void and a challenge to reassess the limits of our perception.