Authentic contemporary Australian Aboriginal artwork will be unveiled at 7pm tonight during the opening of the Warlukurlangu Artists exhibition at La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art, Manama.
The exhibition will showcase the work of Otto Simms and Ormay Gallagher, who work for the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association (WAAA) art centre in Yuendumu, Australia.
It is the first visit for the artists, who are accompanied by centre director Cecilia Alfonso.
The artists are members of the Warlpiri community, which has its largest concentration in Yuendumu, and will present a collection of collectible acrylic work at the exhibition.
“Australian Aboriginal art is the oldest living art tradition in the world, done by Australian Aborigines with paintings in rock shelters dating back 20,000 years, as well as contemporary art by Aborigines based on traditional culture,” said Ms Alfonso.
“Art is one of the key rituals of Aboriginal culture and is used to mark territory and record history.
“Several pieces of Aboriginal art are distinctive to certain groups and you can usually tell what group painted a piece by looking at the symbols that could represent meeting places, watering holes, male or female subjects or even animals that were represented by their tracks,” she told the GDN.
“The main aim of our centre is to help Aboriginal artists get a fair price because sometimes they have a hard time grasping the value of their work.”
The exhibition will continue till April 12 and is open to all from 10am-1pm and from 4pm-6pm daily, except on Fridays.
It is also expected to tour Germany, Singapore and Hong Kong later this year.
For more information, contact 17230123 or visit www.lafontaineartcentre.com.
