5 Aboriginal Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Victoria

Located in Melbourne, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is one of the leading institutions in the country and the most visited museum in Australia. Its extensive collection, comprising over 75,000 pieces, brings together Australian and international art. It includes Asian and European painting, as well as photography, design, and architecture, and ranges from the Italian Renaissance, through Chinese ceramics and works on paper, paintings from Rembrandt to Hokusai, to contemporary sensations.

Across its two magnificent sites, the NGV International and NGV Australia (Ian Potter Centre) exhibitions span thousands of years of art, from ancient civilizations to contemporary masterpieces. However, the most interesting section of the NGV’s holdings is undoubtedly the Australian and Aboriginal art collection, as the museum plays a pivotal role in showcasing Australian artistic achievements.

History and Acquisitions

The National Gallery of Victoria’s journey began in 1861, fueled by Victoria’s post-gold rush prosperity, with early acquisitions of plaster casts and British paintings initially displayed within the Public Library (now the State Library of Victoria). The institution gradually expanded, opening its first purpose-built space, the McArthur Gallery, in 1874 and establishing its influential Art School in 1867.

A pivotal moment arrived in the early 20th century with the generous Felton Bequest in 1904, which significantly boosted the collection. The gallery found its iconic permanent home in 1968 with the opening of the NGV International building on St Kilda Road. It was designed by Roy Grounds and distinguished by its bluestone exterior, grand Leonard French stained-glass Great Hall ceiling, and renowned water-wall entrance.

In the early 21st century, the NGV underwent further transformation with a major redevelopment of the St Kilda Road site and the opening of the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square in 2002.

A Rich Collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art

Primarily housed at the Ian Potter Centre, the NGV’s Australian art holdings are remarkable not only in size but also in the depth and diversity of their representation. The museum holds one of the most significant collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, celebrating the enduring artistic traditions, diverse cultural practices, and compelling narratives of Australia’s First Peoples. From historical shields and bark paintings to contemporary dot paintings and multi-media art installations, the collection provides a vital platform for Australian Aboriginal voices and artistic expressions, fostering understanding and appreciation of their profound connection to Country.

If you’re planning a visit to the NGV, here are five must-see works that offer a glimpse into the depth and breadth of Aboriginal art:

1. Emily Kam Kngwarray, Anwerlarr anganenty (Big Yam Dreaming), 1995

A revered Anmatyerr artist from Utopia, an area northeast of Alice Springs, Emily Kam Kngwarray (c. 1910–1996) began painting on batik in the late 1970s before transitioning to canvas in the late 1980s. Her work quickly gained international acclaim for its unique abstraction and profound connection to her Country and ancestral Dreaming stories. She is celebrated as one of the most significant Australian artists of the 20th century.

Kngwarray’s monumental Anwerlarr anganenty (Big Yam Dreaming) powerfully expresses her profound connection to her birthplace, Alhalker, and her primary ancestral Dreaming, the pencil yam (anwerlarr). This audacious monochrome work, completed over a mere two days, echoes the fluid, linear patterns found in her earlier batik creations and the awely ceremonies where arlkeny (body markings) were applied. The painting’s expansive surface, created with a single, continuous stroke, depicts the subterranean roots of the yam, the subtle cracks in the earth as the plant ripens, and the ritual body paint. Kngwarray’s work, especially this late masterpiece, initiated a paradigm shift, moving beyond mere notation or landscape depiction to become a profound form of visual expression.

2. Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Dibirdibi Country, 2007

Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori (c. 1924–2015) was a distinguished senior Kaiadilt woman from Bentinck Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland. She began painting in her early eighties, quickly developing a distinctive, vibrant, and highly expressive abstract style. Her work is characterized by bold blocks of color and gestural brushstrokes, reflecting her deep connection to her Country, stories, and the specific landscapes of her island home.

Gabori’s Dibirdibi Country is a vibrant and expressive painting that captures the essence of her Kaiadilt Country. The painting is a testament to her unique artistic vision and her profound connection to her homeland. It depicts specific places like her father’s Country or significant fishing grounds, rendered with powerful emotion and memory rather than strict representation.

Her style, although associated with Abstract Expressionism, doesn’t have any reference to Western art history, as the artist did not interact with any of these references. Hers is a purely gestural and abstract process, naturally devoid of photorealistic images, as many Aboriginal artworks are.

3. Nonggirrnga Marawili, Djapu (Fish Trap at Wandawuy), 2019

Born on the shores of Darrpirra around 1939, Nonggirrnga Marawili developed into an artist with a distinct and prolific style across painting, carving, and printmaking. A senior Yolŋu artist from Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land, she is known for her innovative approach to traditional Ganalbingu, Madarrpa, and Djapu designs, often incorporating natural elements like bark painting. Through her practice, Marawili not only expressed her deep spiritual connection to Country but also played a vital role in preserving and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Djapu people.

In her striking work Djapu (Fish trap at Wandawuy), Marawili vividly portrays Wandawuy, the ancestral homeland of her late husband, Djutadjuta, capturing its profound spiritual essence. The composition is populated by significant beings such as the Mäṉa (shark) and Bolngu (the Thunderman). Marawili’s use of intricate grids symbolically represents the landscape of Wandawuy, its billabongs, ridges, and the ingenious woven fish traps. The work stands as a powerful testament to the artist’s commitment to cultural continuity and knowledge transmission.

4. Brook Andrew, Polemics, 2000

Brook Andrew (born in 1970) is a contemporary Wiradjuri and Scottish artist based in Melbourne. His multidisciplinary practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and video, often engaging critically with history, identity, colonialism, and Indigenous representation. Andrew is known for his use of archival materials, neon, and bold graphic patterns, creating works that challenge perceptions and invite dialogue about Australia’s complex past and present.

Andrew’s contemporary art often challenges conventional narratives and explores themes of Aboriginal identity, language, and post-colonialism. Polemics, with its striking use of neon text, is a thought-provoking piece that invites viewers to question dominant perspectives, particularly those embedded in historical discourse and the representation of Indigenous cultures.

5. Collective Work, Dulka Warngiid (Land of All), 2007

Dulka Warngiid (Land of All) is a brilliant testament to the collective artistic vision and profound connection to Country of seven senior Kaiadilt women, Birmuyingathi Maali Netta Loogatha, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Warthadangathi Bijarrba Ethel Thomas, Thunduyingathi Bijarrb May Moodoonuthi, Kuruwarriyingathi Bijarrb Paula Paul, Wirrngajingathi Bijarrb Kurdalalngk Dawn Naranatjil, and Rayarriwarrtharrbayingathi Mingungurra Amy Loogatha.

This monumental work, whose title translates as “land of all,” offers a holistic and deeply personal rendering of Bentinck Island, Queensland, through the eyes of artists who have lived through the entirety of Indigenous-European contact. Having resided on Bentinck Island until the early 1940s before being moved to the Mornington Island mission, these seven surviving Kaiadilt language speakers infused the canvas with their lifetime of experiences and deep ancestral knowledge. Each section of the work is a distinct yet harmoniously integrated response, reflecting individual story places on their small island home.

For example, Dawn Naranatjil depicts the soft red mudstones found on the beaches, while Paula Paul’s rendering of shells on the beach in the upper left corner echoes the traditional patterns women create when cooking cockle shells. Gabori captures the intense luminosity of the sun reflecting on the sea at Dingkarri (her elder brother’s birthplace), May Moodoonuthi illustrates the rocky shores, and Amy Loogatha records the striking red salt pans and blue estuary of Dangkankuru. In the upper right, Netta Loogatha represents a significant story place from her Country, and in the lower right, Ethel Thomas paints marrayak, referring to both the octopus and a condition linked to the violation of food taboos. Together, these individual narratives weave a powerful and comprehensive portrait of Bentinck Island’s enduring spirit and the Kaiadilt people’s resilience.