Aboriginal art and culture traced

Artists from left Kent Morris and Josh Muir with an example of the many great works on display. 162669

By Peter Douglas

BURRINJA Cultural Centre has something special in store for guests from Saturday 10 December to 12 February.
Wominjeka: a New Beginning traces cultural communities and explores new modes of creative practice in South Eastern Aboriginal art and cultures.
Featuring a diverse array of materials and techniques including painting, animal skin cloaks and textiles, bark and feather flowers, clay shields and digital prints – this landmark exhibition brings together specially commissioned work by five cross-generational early career artists; Georgia MacGuire, Aunty Marlene Gilson, Mitch Mahoney, Josh Muir and Raymond Young.
As part of this project, each participating artist has been mentored by a senior artist including Maree Clarke, Lee Darroch, Ray Thomas and Peter Waples-Crow to explore the Koorie Heritage Trust’s significant Collections and to develop new work in dialogue with the past.
Wominjeka: A New Beginning was originally produced to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Koorie Heritage Trust and to launch the Trust’s new high-profile premises at Federation Square in Melbourne.
Exhibitions co-ordinator Angie Taylor said people should take the time to view this exhibition.
“The exhibition is an opportunity to view some of the Koorie Heritage Trust’s precious collection items together with artwork by contemporary Indigenous artists,” she said.
“The contemporary Indigenous artists have created artworks in response to items from the Koorie Heritage Trust collection.
“NETS Victoria has partnered with Koorie Heritage Trust to tour Wominjeka around Victoria, and we are really delighted to be able to display the exhibition at Burrinja.”
The exhibition will tour to four venues around Victoria in 2016.
A range of public programs, an education resource and an exhibition catalogue will accompany the exhibition tour.
Burrinja Cultural Centre is located at 351 Glenfern Road, Upwey.
For more information, visit netsvictoria.org.au or www.burrinja.org.au.