Art of Australia & Oceania

Artist Stories

Albert Namatjira: A Story of Success and Discrimination

In a time when the Australian government imposed a highly discriminatory policy on Aboriginal people, Albert Namatjira (1902-1959) conquered the art...

Jimena Escoto 26 January 2023

Art of Australia & Oceania

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Looted from Australia

At the end of the 18th century, the British Empire added Australia to its territory. Since the infamous arrival of Captain Cook white people have...

Jimena Escoto 26 January 2023

Art of Australia & Oceania

Australian Art Through Time – Inspirations from Land and Sea

Separated by oceans and the present host of political and social barriers, Australia isn’t an easy jaunt away for a quick art appreciation weekend...

Guest Profile 26 January 2023

Museums Australia. Heide Museum of Modern Art, Bulleen, Australia Museum Stories

10 Museums to Visit in Australia

Australia may be better known for its beaches and natural wonders – and, of course, kangaroos and koalas. But it is also a country rich in art and...

Vithória Konzen Dill 26 January 2023

Impressionism

5 Things You Need to Know About Australian Impressionism

Australian Impressionism might not be as well known as its French counterpart, but this late 19th-century art movement was important to the country.

Kelly Hill 26 January 2023

Chambri People, Ancestor Mask, early 20th century, wood and natural pigments, Ceremonial House, Chambri Lake Village, Papua New Guinea, Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Chambri People’s Ancestor Mask

Ancestor Mask is a masterpiece of Papua New Guinean art. It symbolizes a vanishing tribal lifestyle rarely seen outside of...

James W Singer 1 August 2022

Kūka’ilimoku, ca 1795-1822, ʻŌhiʻa lehua Wood, Kawaihae, Hawai’i, British Museum, London, UK. Detail. Masterpiece Stories

Masterpiece Story: Kūka’ilimoku

Kūka’ilimoku is a masterpiece of Hawaiian art. It is an artistic icon of Hawai’i, Polynesia, and Oceania. With so little Oceanic art displayed...

James W Singer 9 December 2021

Sculpture

The Eyes Have It: The Moai of Easter Island

The monolithic moai statues on Easter Island have long been shrouded in mystery. Almost a thousand years since their creation, they still fascinate...

Nadine Waldmann 5 March 2019