First Nations Ceramics Touring Exhibition Opens at Cairns Art Gallery
The Cairns Art Gallery has opened the National Gallery of Australia's touring exhibition, "Of This Earth," marking it as the first venue to showcase this significant collection. This exhibition highlights the diversity of First Nations ceramic practices across Australia, featuring over thirty works by twenty-eight artists, including Thancoupie, Billy Bain, Nicole Foreshew, and Janet Fieldhouse. A standout piece is Iluwanti Ken's "Untitled" (2024), acquired by the National Gallery of Australia. The exhibition will run from March 14 to June 14, 2026, before moving to the Bay Discovery Centre and Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie.
Key facts
- Cairns Art Gallery is the first institution to show the National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition 'Of This Earth'.
- The exhibition celebrates the breadth of First Nations ceramic practice across Australia.
- Over thirty key works by twenty-eight artists are on display.
- Artists include Thancoupie, Billy Bain, Nicole Foreshew, and Janet Fieldhouse.
- The exhibition runs from 14 March to 14 June 2026 at Cairns Art Gallery.
- In 2026, the exhibition will also show at Bay Discovery Centre in South Australia.
- It will also show at Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.
- A featured work is Iluwanti Ken's 'Untitled' (2024), purchased by the National Gallery of Australia.
Entities
Artists
- Thancoupie
- Billy Bain
- Nicole Foreshew
- Janet Fieldhouse
- Iluwanti Ken
Institutions
- Cairns Art Gallery
- National Gallery of Australia
- Bay Discovery Centre
- Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie
- Tjala Arts
- Jan Murphy Gallery
- Unley Museum and Galleries
- Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
- Museum of Art and Culture, yapang
- Yarra Ranges Regional Gallery
- Swan Hill Regional Gallery
- Wesfarmers Arts
Locations
- Cairns
- Queensland
- Australia
- South Australia
- New South Wales
- Kamberri/Canberra
- Victoria