Local Indigenous artists are celebrating another successful year of the JAALA International Art Exchange Exhibition, as the display wraps up in Tokyo following the six-day event.
Cairns-based Jenny Fraser, Teho Ropeyarn and Susan Reys, as well as Gordon Syron from Magnetic Island, were invited to take part in the exhibition at the Yokohama Arts Foundation.
They are the only Australian artists in this year’s collection among creatives from Lebanon, South Africa, Colombia and many other countries across the globe.
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Curator and participating artist Jenny Fraser, who’s been involved with JAALA since 2012, told Tropic Now the partnership highlights similarities between Japan and Australia despite the two countries’ differences.
“The legacy work that JAALA has been doing to help overcome racism, apartheid, and militarisation in society is really inspirational,” she said.
“Japan has only been accepting foreigners for the last 150 years or so.
“They’ve got a lot of work to do in their own country to raise awareness on multiculturalism and more inclusive societies.
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“It is an honour and a privilege to have Aboriginal Art included in this show of solidarity for the world.
“So much is lost in translation and there’s hardly any communication, but every year I learn more and more.”
The self-funded collection, titled Gunya, incorporates a range of prints, paintings, photo media, film and banners, with a focus on traditional plants and their uses to Aboriginal people over millennia.
“The word gunyah describes the traditional dome shaped shelters made of bark and tree branches made by Aboriginal people on the Australian East Coast, and comes from the Darug language of the area that is now known as Sydney,” Jenny said.
“The exhibition acknowledges the continuing role of native plants supporting daily life, that are used for dwellings as well as bushfood, medicine and adornments in Aboriginal societies.”
Artist Teho Ropeyarn said he was thrilled to be a part of the 22nd biennial exhibition.
“It’s a great opportunity to be presenting works internationally in Japan during a time where global travel has ceased,” artist Teho Ropeyarn said.
“Our art can travel with no limitations and be presented alongside many artists from across the globe”.
The Gunya collection will soon return to Australia where Jenny plans to tour the exhibition around Cairns and the wider country.
