Art Gallery of Western Australia launches ‘I AM’ exhibition celebrating First Nations artists

The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) will open I AM, a major new exhibition celebrating the diversity, creativity and lived experiences of First Nations artists from across Australia.

The exhibition, opened on February 28 and running for 18 months after, features more than 60 works from the State Art Collection, including new, recent and rarely exhibited pieces by Aboriginal artists spanning multiple generations and regions. Through painting, sculpture, glasswork, printmaking and portraiture, I AM explores themes of identity, personhood, Country, culture and history.

Curated by AGWA Curator of Indigenous Art Carly Lane, the exhibition brings together works that reflect both deeply rooted traditions and contemporary artistic practices.

“I AM is an exhibition about identity and personhood,” Lane said. “How we know ourselves, how we make sense of the world around us, and how we navigate the two is the overarching theme of the show.”

Highlights include paintings by Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori and Emily Kam Kngwarray, bark paintings by Wandjuk Marika, and a large-scale glass installation by Yhonnie Scarce examining the legacy of atomic testing in Australia. Portraits and conceptual works by Julie Dowling, Dianne Jones, Gordon Bennett and Dallas Fletcher are also featured.

The exhibition includes artists from regions across Australia, including the Kimberley, Arnhem Land, the Tiwi Islands, the Western Desert and Western Australia’s South-West region. Eleven Noongar artists are represented, including Laurel Nannup, Bella Kelly and Christopher Pease.

AGWA Director Colin Walker said several featured works were acquired during the AGWA Foundation’s $1.5 million COVID-19 stimulus initiative, which directly supported more than 400 Western Australian artists.

“Our goal at the time was to support WA artists represented in the Collection, as well as independent artists and artists in remote communities struggling during COVID-19,” Walker said.

The exhibition will run for 18 months, with major rotations planned for August 2026 and early 2027, introducing new works and perspectives throughout its duration.

Lane described I AM as both a celebration of Aboriginal identity and an invitation for audiences to reflect on their own sense of self.

“This exhibition is an invitation to witness the personal and shared stories that shape Aboriginal identity and personhood,” she said.