Across the Water brings the colours and culture of Australia’s north to South Freo

Ochre has been used for thousands of years by Indigenous Australians in ceremonies, rituals, and art. It is deeply intertwined with cultural practices, representing connections to land, ancestors, spirituality, and even trade.

Across the Water is a free exhibition that includes over thirty ochre paintings from four remote community art centres in northern Australia. The exhibition opens at Earlywork in South Fremantle on Friday, June 7, and runs until Sunday, June 30.

For over a decade, Artitja Fine Art Gallery has hosted numerous visits by artists from Pirlingimpi, a small community on the Tiwi Islands, and in so doing, has introduced the art and cultural significance of the Tiwi designs to Perth audiences.

Across the Water links these artists to the mainland by presenting the styles of two East Kimberley art centres: Waringarri Arts based in Kununurra and the Kira Kiro Artists at Kalumburu. All three use ochre as the medium, each with a unique and distinctive outcome.

“Many of the Tiwi paintings are based on body paint designs used in ceremonies and are intricately detailed,” explained Gallery Director Anna Kanaris. “The Wandjina and Gwion Gwion paintings from the Kalumburu artists are inspired by the ancient rock art imagery abundant in the area, whereas the style of the Waringarri artists tends to appear minimalist, showing riverbeds and important sites.”

Across the Water is showing at Earlywork from Friday, June 7 until Sunday, June 30, 2024. For more info, head to earlywork.gallery