City of Canterbury Bankstown is inviting visitors to celebrate ancient astronomy at a new exhibition which showcases star stories from First Nations artists
Bankstown Arts Centre’s latest exhibition, Under the Stars is open until Saturday 19 July and brings together First Nations knowledges of astronomy from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific.
Through a unique mix of puppetry, photography and other immersive art forms, visitors are invited to explore the importance of the night sky to First Nations communities.
The works come from of a mix of established and emerging artists which include Benjamin Akuila, Jasmine Craciun, Morgan Hogg, Bria McCarthy, Lucy Simpson and Chris Chen, M. Sunflower, Rangi Maika and Gerome Te Peeti.
Emerging Aboriginal artist, Jasmine Craciun, said the exhibition gave her the opportunity to showcase her newest and favourite iteration of her work “From their Hands to Mine”.
“In this iteration of ‘From their Hands to Mine’, the artefacts are arranged in a constellation-like formation,” she said.
“This formation draws inspiration from the fire trails and roads of Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park, the original site of these artefacts, while also paying homage to constellations being a traditional mapping technique of our people.
“My Nan believes that the stars represent our old people who have passed on. By placing the artefacts in a way that honours these constellations, we recognise the spirit of our ancestors who now reside among the stars”
Building on a 2024 Matariki residency initiated by Outloud, the Bankstown Arts Centre team curated and produced this exhibition in close consultation with cultural groups who were invited to share stories across First Nations cultures, including from Aboriginal, Maori and Pasifika artists.
The recent opening event was produced in collaboration with Outloud, and included performances segment curated by Gerome Te Peeti, featuring Dhinawan Yarn and Te Raranga Whanui with a DJ set by Jessica Paraha.
Under the Stars is supported by Create NSW through an annual grant for the exhibition and project grant for the performances.
For more information about the exhibition, visit: cb.city/UndertheStars