Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali Exhibition Debuts at Grafton Regional Gallery
Grafton Regional Gallery
21 December 2024 – 9 February 2025
Arts Northern Rivers is proud to announce the arrival of the Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali Exhibition at Grafton Regional Gallery, the first stop on its tour across Bundjalung lands in Northern Rivers, NSW. This groundbreaking exhibition, curated by Bundjalung artist Kylie Caldwell, celebrates the reclamation of ancestral weaving traditions while showcasing the ingenuity of contemporary Bundjalung, Yaegl, Gumbaynggirr, and Kamilaroi (Gamilaroi) artists.
For the first time, nine ancestral woven objects from the Australian Museum’s collection return to Country, standing alongside ten newly commissioned works by contemporary First Nations weavers. The exhibition bridges ancient wisdom and modern artistry, offering audiences a profound cultural experience.
Kylie Caldwell, the exhibition’s curator, described the exhibition as a “homecoming” for the ancestral pieces and an opportunity to connect past and present. “Nine of our timeless, intricately woven Bundjalung ancestral bags will be home for a while; conversing, sharing, informing, inspiring, affirming, and connecting to their homelands,” she said. “This is an exciting homecoming, one that weaves our history into the present.”
Dr Mariko Smith, Head of First Nations Collections & Research at the Australian Museum, emphasised the importance of reconnecting these ancestral objects with the Bundjalung community. “Lending these exquisite woven pieces for the touring exhibition is deeply significant,” Dr Smith said. “We are thrilled to support this initiative and our strong partnership with Arts Northern Rivers.”
Grafton Regional Gallery Director Sarah Gurich highlighted the significance of the exhibition to the gallery’s 2025 program. “Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali is a highlight of our year, bringing together ancestral and contemporary fibre works to celebrate, reclaim, and strengthen knowledge of traditional weaving practices,” she said.
The contemporary works include ‘Dili’ by Bindimu, a Bundjalung, Gugu Yalanji, Gooreng Gooreng, and Melanesian multidisciplinary artist. “The process of weaving a dili begins with the plants and the place, a conscious and cautious collection. This dili embodies the sacredness of this embryonic relationship, a process that intricately weaves together multiple ecosystems,” Bindimu said.
Also featured is ‘Place of Tall Pines’ by Margaret Torrens, a Bundjalung artist and the longest-standing member of Casino Wake Up Time, a collective of Bundjalung and Kamilaroi weavers. Margaret’s work pays tribute to her mother, Aunty Phyllis Caldwell, and their connection to Mallanganee, the “Place of Tall Pines.”
Krystal Randall, a Bundjalung/Yaegl artist, explores Woven Cultural Wear with her work ‘Dyinda on Country.’ Using raffia, emu feathers, and paper cortege, Randall celebrates matriarchal strength and the intergenerational transmission of cultural knowledge.
Arts and cultural leader Rhoda Roberts AO contributes her work ‘Continuous Persistence,’ created from Lomandra grass harvested on Country. Roberts co-authored the book Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali … we weave together with curator Kylie Caldwell, which inspired the touring exhibition. “Weaving is more than art; it’s an essence of the circular rhythm that can be continuous,” Roberts said. “We have returned full circle, to the old ways where our grandmothers once gathered under the trees, weaving.”
The exhibition opened at Grafton Regional Gallery on 21 December 2024. Visitors are also invited to attend a Curator & Artist Talk on 8 February 2025 from 11 am to 12:30 pm.
The Bulaan Buruugaa Ngali Exhibition is a community-informed project that celebrates and preserves ancient women’s weaving knowledge. Following its Grafton debut, the exhibition will tour to Tweed Regional Gallery (22 February 2025 – 27 April 2025) and Lismore Regional Gallery (12 September 2025 – 9 November 2025).
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