Image: Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
The Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth is presenting ‘I AM: Aboriginal art from the State Art Collection’, an ongoing exhibition bringing together more than 60 works by First Nations artists from across Australia. The display combines new, recent and rarely seen acquisitions with works already held by the gallery, tracing a range of Aboriginal artistic practices, perspectives and relationships to Country.
Opening on 28 February 2026, ‘I AM’ is designed to change over time. Major rotations introduced new works in August 2026, with another rotation planned for early 2027. The approach allows the exhibition to continue developing rather than presenting a fixed selection from the State Art Collection. Admission is free, and the gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm, except on Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Curated by Carly Lane, AGWA’s Curator of Indigenous Art and Head of Indigenous Programs, the exhibition centres on personal and shared stories. Its themes include connection to Country, culture, history and lived experience, while the selection moves between deeply rooted traditions and contemporary forms of expression. Works on view include paintings by Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Emily Kam Kngwarray that engage with the rhythms of Country, as well as bark paintings by Wandjuk Marika recounting creation stories.
The exhibition also includes a major glass installation by Yhonnie Scarce addressing the history of atomic testing in Australia, alongside portraits and mental maps by Julie Dowling, Dianne Jones, Gordon Bennett and Dallas Fletcher. Artists represented in the display come from regions including Western Australia’s South-West and Kimberley, Arnhem Land, the Tiwi Islands and the Western Desert.
Western Australian artists have a strong presence, with 11 Noongar artists included. Linocut prints and etchings by Laurel Nannup, who created the First Contact sculpture at Elizabeth Quay, are shown alongside acquisitions by Bella Kelly and Christopher Pease. Their works engage with Noongar Country through distinct themes and visual approaches. The presentation also features works acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic through the Art Gallery of Western Australia Foundation’s $1.5 million Stimulus Package, including pieces by Sharyn Egan, Peter Farmer II, Rohin (Dushong) Kickett, Kittey Ngyalgarri Malarvie and Dallas Fletcher.
Lane describes ‘I AM’ as an exhibition concerned with “identity and personhood”—how people know themselves, understand the world and navigate their place within it. Related programming includes guided tours titled ‘Highlights of First Nations Art’, held at 1pm on Tuesdays, 11am on Wednesdays and Sundays, and 2pm on Saturdays, as well as the ‘PLAY DATES’ programme during the winter school holidays on 4 July 2026. ‘I AM: Aboriginal art from the State Art Collection’ remains on view at AGWA in Perth on an ongoing basis, with further new works scheduled to enter the display in early 2027.
