The next generation of Bass Coast artists shine alongside established names at the
2026 NAIDOC exhibition. Fan bird by Baylee Carlyon
2026 NAIDOC exhibition. Fan bird by Baylee Carlyon
By Liane Arno
I AM obviously very ignorant because when I first read about the theme of NAIDOC Week 2026 – 50 Years Deadly – I thought it was odd because I had understood that First Nations people had a deep respect for the deceased as I, like you, had often seen the disclaimer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images and voices of deceased people.
Well yes, I am ignorant because then I found out that First Nations people use the word deadly to mean excellent, awesome, fantastic, or cool. And that is exactly what you get when you attend the NAIDOC Art Exhibition at ArtSpace.
I AM obviously very ignorant because when I first read about the theme of NAIDOC Week 2026 – 50 Years Deadly – I thought it was odd because I had understood that First Nations people had a deep respect for the deceased as I, like you, had often seen the disclaimer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images and voices of deceased people.
Well yes, I am ignorant because then I found out that First Nations people use the word deadly to mean excellent, awesome, fantastic, or cool. And that is exactly what you get when you attend the NAIDOC Art Exhibition at ArtSpace.
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The Bass Coast/South Gippsland Reconciliation Group has held a NAIDOC week First Nations Art exhibition for the past 14 years, and for the past five years it has been held at ArtSpace, Wonthaggi. It has been incredibly successful. Its success is of course due to a whole bunch of dedicated volunteers, including curator Mary Mutsaers, but most importantly it is because of the artists.
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NAIDOC Art Exhibition
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I managed to get a sneak preview of Blue Vapour’s wonderful 2026 Virtual Exhibition and found not only images of the fantastic work but also the profiles of the artists.
Two things struck me immediately. The first was the number of young people exhibiting. I must admit to being a softie but I did have tears in my eyes because this year’s 50 Years Deadly honours, amongst other things, the young people carrying culture forward. It takes a lot of courage for anyone to put up their work for public scrutiny and yet here are these young people proudly showing off their already considerable talent.
Two things struck me immediately. The first was the number of young people exhibiting. I must admit to being a softie but I did have tears in my eyes because this year’s 50 Years Deadly honours, amongst other things, the young people carrying culture forward. It takes a lot of courage for anyone to put up their work for public scrutiny and yet here are these young people proudly showing off their already considerable talent.
And that culture that they carry forward is significant, which draws me to the second thing I noticed. It was the vastness of the representation of First Nations people. Here were artists who identified as from:
Is it any wonder that they are compelled to capture their love of their Country, sharing its beauty and celebrating their cultural heritage?
Please do yourself a favour. Come along to ArtSpace for the opening on July 5 from 1pm to 3pm. If you can’t get there, check out the exhibition website at naidoc-art.com.au. Be warned – get in quick because the art works get red dot sale stickers very, very quickly.
- Yorta Yorta from the fertile Murray River corridor where the ribbon of water winds through red gum forests, billabongs and wide flood plains, from Cohuna in the west to just outside Albury/Wodonga in the east
- Gunai Kurnai from the Great Dividing Range that long ancient sweep of mountains and high country down to the shimmering maze of water of Gippsland Lakes and out to the coastline to the west of Wilsons Promontory.
- Wuthathi from the most remote, spectacular, and environmentally significant parts of far north Cape York Peninsula, Queensland - a place of brilliant white silica dunes, freshwater lakes, wetlands, and rich sea country.
- Mabuiag Island a steep, granite‑backed island rising from the deep blue of the Western Torres Strait halfway between the tip of Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea.
- Wirangu from South Australia’s far‑west coast, centred around the Great Australian Bight, a sweeping arc of ocean and limestone cliffs adjoining a stark land of salt bush plains and pale dunes.
- Wagilak from south‑eastern Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory where stringy bark forests open onto white sandy beaches.
- Pairrebeenne/Trawloolway from north‑east Tasmania in the Ben Lomond region a vast dolerite plateau with sheer cliffs and rolling alpine tundra.
- Ngunnawal from much of the ACT along with surrounding regions of south‑eastern NSW, the meeting place between open plains and mountain country.
- Gunditjmara from south‑western Victoria, home of their ancient stone aquaculture systems at Budj Bim.
- Wadawurrung from the large area of south‑central Victoria, stretching across the Bellarine Peninsula where rolling green hills cascade into the sea, and deep into the Central Highlands around Ballarat with its broad sweep of volcanic plains and granite hills.
- Erub from Erub Island in the Eastern Torres Strait where its steep green slopes drop into bright warm waters closer to Papua New Guinea than Australia.
- And finally from our own coastline the Bunurong/Boonwurrung of a land of long beaches and shifting dunes.
Is it any wonder that they are compelled to capture their love of their Country, sharing its beauty and celebrating their cultural heritage?
Please do yourself a favour. Come along to ArtSpace for the opening on July 5 from 1pm to 3pm. If you can’t get there, check out the exhibition website at naidoc-art.com.au. Be warned – get in quick because the art works get red dot sale stickers very, very quickly.