Stories through time: Living cultures, enduring connections at UQ Anthropology Museum
Generations of Indigenous Australian and Pacific peoples have worked to preserve and celebrate cultural continuity through making, sharing and documenting the everyday objects and practices of Country and Custom.
Over the past seventy-five years thousands of objects have made their way into the Anthropology Museum’s custodianship. The Museum has been a place for critical discourse and this exhibition celebrates the collaborative relationships forged between Indigenous and non-Indigenous producers and scholars.
Since the 1950s makers, storytellers and knowledge holders have connected with their material culture in the collection, to re-imagine cultural continuity for future generations. This exhibition presents key collections which contain and convey some of these deeply significant social, spiritual and economic ties.
Reflecting on these collaborations, the Anthropology Museum acknowledge the many artists and community researchers who continue to share valuable insights into the dynamism of living cultures with deep connections to Country and Custom.
Featuring works by:
Aspasia Gadai (Yewo)
Eeng Ampeybegan
Esther Ngala Kennedy (1948-2005)
Ivy-Rose Sirimi
Irene Mbitjana Entata (1946-2014)
Kamaki Isaga
Kauindu
Kelly Kanti
Larry Gavenor
Maude Jowrth
Mede
Mikompa Peemuggina
Nanganarralil (c.1938-94)
Napolean Oui
Narritjin Maymuru (c.1916-81)
Peter Mondjingu (2) (c.1931-95)
Richard Birrinbirrin
Wadubu Bawadi
Yirrkala artists:
Marriwana (Djirrmurmur) Marika
Multhara Mununngurritj
Marrnyula Mununngurr
Gunariny Wanambi
Mulmulpa Gurruwiwi
Kamana clay pot artists:
James Yamran
Clement Saun
Ruben David
Carolyna Alois
Rubina Tup
Egnas Wapi
Goffred KanjiPhotographs by:
Arthur Power Lyons (1879-1965)
Professor Bob MacLennan (1931-2013)
Tony Crawford
Ngali Dullan - We Remain
This new permanent exhibition aims to create an immersive atmosphere on entry to the Museum and give visitors a sense and understanding of Quandamooka people and country since time immemorial. Ngali Dullan enables visitors to view Minjerribah / Tjerrangerri through a non-colonial lens.
It is a statement that we, the Quandamooka people, are here and always have been. We remain, our culture, our stories and our strength remains.
Ngali Dullan is a collaborative community project with Quandamooka artists facilitated by Megan Cope. Contemporary and historical objects include woven baskets / gulayi, one by Granny Nuningha (Rose Martin) and one by Sonja Carmichael and a fishing spear / jibal by Matthew Burns. Commissioned works by local artists: Nicky Karklis-Jones, Nathaniel Chapman, Martin Karklis, Belinda Close, Elisa Jane Carmichael and Xoe Mazzoni, depict historical stories as well as important cultural and environmental information. These stories are overlaid on top of maps of country made by Megan.
The immersive maps illustrate Quandamooka-dja and Yarabin-dja (Moreton Bay Land and Sea Country). It draws from Megan’s ongoing series titled After the Flood where she uses toponymy, geomorphology and the latent consequences of rising sea levels.
“These works seek to challenge the construct of time, place and fabric of our society that was formulated with the arrival of European settlers and convicts. Military maps echoing the myth of Terra Nullius once depicting land devoid from Aboriginal occupation are now reimagined and illustrating significant names and places to Quandamooka people.” Megan Cope