‘The Stars We Do Not See’ Brings Australian Indigenous Art to Portland

The Portland Art Museum will present ‘The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art’ from September 5, 2026, through January 3, 2027, in what organizers describe as the exhibition’s only West Coast presentation. The exhibition brings together more than 100 works by over 130 artists, offering a survey of modern and contemporary Indigenous art from Australia.

Organized by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in association with the Denver Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum, the exhibition is drawn exclusively from the Melbourne museum’s collection. It is curated by Myles Russell-Cook, former senior curator of Australian and First Nations art at the National Gallery of Victoria and current artistic director and chief executive officer of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. At the Portland presentation, coordination will be led by Kathleen Ash-Milby, the museum’s senior curator of Native American art.

The exhibition introduces the visual iconographies of Indigenous Australia, a region comprising more than 250 distinct Indigenous nations. Its historical scope extends from the late 19th century to the present, tracing significant developments in Indigenous art while emphasizing a history of creativity that predates the arrival of the British.

Among the artists represented are Anmatyerr painter Emily Kam Kngwarray and Senior Yolŋu artist Gulumbu Yunupiŋu, whose name gives the exhibition its title. The presentation also includes work by contemporary artists Brook Andrew, Destiny Deacon, and Betty Muffler. The selection spans ochre bark paintings, experimental weavings, sound and video works, and photography.

Featured works include Kngwarray’s ‘Anwerlarr Anganenty (Big Yam Dreaming)’ (1995), a synthetic polymer painting on canvas measuring more than eight meters across, and Wingu Tingima’s ‘Minyma Tjuta (Seven Sisters)’ (2006). The museum also lists Alec Mingelmanganu’s ‘Wanjina’ (1980), made with earth pigments and natural binder on canvas. The works are held by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

A public conversation connected to the exhibition is scheduled for September 27 at 2 p.m. in the Portland Art Museum’s Whitsell Auditorium. Moderated by Ash-Milby, the discussion will feature Dr. Jessica Clark, senior curator of First Nations art at the National Gallery of Victoria, and Tasmanian documentary photographer and artist Ricky Maynard. The speakers will address the living cultural traditions, artistic innovations, and socio-political themes represented in the exhibition, with particular attention to Maynard’s work. The event is included with general admission.

Museum members will have an advance preview on September 4. The exhibition will remain on view at the Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Avenue, through January 3, 2027.