The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art
Edited by Myles Russell-Cook. Text by Leitha Assan, Tina Baum, Maxine Briggs, Daniel Browning, Clothilde Bullen, Freja Carmichael, Kelli Cole, Claire G. Coleman, Nici Cumpston, Tony Ellwood, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Michael Gentle, Sophie Gerhard, Edwina Green, Gail Harradine, Maya Hodge, Shonae Hobson, Amita Kirpalani, Marcia Langton, Simone LeAmon, Tom Mosby, Hetti Perkins, et al.
Witness Australian Indigenous art in all its myriad ingenious forms, from ochre bark paintings and experimental weavings to immersive sound and video art and powerful photographs
Published with National Gallery of Victoria and D.A.P.
The Australian continent is home to the world's oldest living culture, dating back at least 65,000 years—over 250 distinct groups survive, each with its own customs, language and art. Showcasing this cultural diversity, The Stars We Do Not See brings together standout pieces from the National Gallery of Victoria's globally recognized collection of works by Indigenous artists in an unprecedented presentation of First Nations Australian art and design. Charting watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late 19th century to the present, the more than 200 works made by over 130 artists reveal a rich history of creativity that predates the arrival of the British. See the work of trailblazing painters including Anmatyerre superstar Emily Kam Kngwarray and Senior Yolnu artist Gulumbu Yunupinu (after whom the exhibition is titled) along with contemporary innovators Richard Bell, Maree Clarke and Betty Muffler. Apart from the vibrant illustrations, this volume also includes a foldout map of Indigenous Australia, a glossary, an expansive introductory essay and hundreds of brief texts contextualizing the works presented. Through both image and narrative, The Stars We Do Not See traces the strength, creativity and resistance of Indigenous peoples, as captured in the extraordinary breadth and depth of their many artistic traditions. Artists include: Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Brook Andrew, William Barak, Maree Clarke, Destiny Deacon, Kitty Kantilla, Emily Kam Kngwarray, Tommy McRae, Paddy Compass Namadbara, Jimmy Njiminjuma, Rover Thomas, Christian Thompson, Judy Watson, Yirawala.
Wakartu Cory Surprise, Walmajarri c. 1929–2011, "Tapu" (2010). 'The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art,' National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
Puck
Marion Maneker
If 'The Stars We Do Not See' does nothing more than illustrate how the Indigenous people of Australia have navigated preserving their cosmology while both adapting to and resisting the modern world,then the show will be a success.
The Wall Street Journal
Karen Wilken
The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art,' an immense exhibition of nearly 200 works by more than 130 artists, is fascinating, frustrating, engaging and baffling.
The Atlantic
Susan Tallmann
The Stars We Do Not See' includes photography, video, and conceptual art, but what makes it astonishing is the breadth of painting produced by Aboriginal artists over the past 50 years.
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Drawn exclusively from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, The Stars We Do Not See offers a rare opportunity to experience some of the most significant examples of modern and contemporary Australian Indigenous art. Charting watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late nineteenth century to the present, this exhibition reveals a rich history of creativity that far predates colonial contact. Dhambit Munuŋgurr’s bark painting Djirikitj-Wop! (2020) is emblematic of the innovations of contemporary aboriginal artists. It is customary that artists from Munuŋgurr’s community only paint using ochres from their ancestral lands, but after a 2005 car crash, with community experts agreeing she could no longer be expected to grind traditional ochres used for bark painting because of limited dexterity in her right hand, Munuŋgurr began working in acrylic paint. Starting with tones of red, orange and yellow, reminiscent of natural ochre, Mununggurr came to her now famous bright blue acrylic in 2019. Depicted in this artwork is djirikitj, the quail, who in Ancestral times picked up a burning twig from a fire and flew away with it, dropping it at a paperbark swamp to symbolize sacred fire, rebirth and renewal—a testament to the resiliency of aboriginal creativity. Published to accompany the exhibition opening at the Denver Art Museum this weekend, The Stars We Do Not See features a glossary of Indigenous Australian language terms, a 5000-word essay on the history of Indigenous Art in Australia, and texts on more than 150 pivotal First Nations works of art. continue to blog
“For many First Nations people, both in Australia and around the world, the past is not something distant or inaccessible,” curator and editor Myles Russell-Cook writes in new release, The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art; “instead, it is intricately woven into our present reality. Time is a cycle in which interactions within Ancestral realms continue to influence the culture of the contemporary era. This understanding allows Indigenous peoples to maintain a deep connection with heritage and tradition, ensuring that history remains very much alive and in the present.” Published to accompany the major traveling exhibition of Australian Indigenous art that opens at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, in October 2025, this 320-page hardcover spans from the late nineteenth century to today, and includes more than 200 artworks. Featuring striking black paper edges and a fold-out map of Indigenous Australia at the back, it reproduces work by more than 130 artists, including Wakartu Cory Surprise, Alik Tipoti and Kuruwarriyingathi Bijarrb Paula Paul, whose work is shown in detail here, from top to bottom. continue to blog
FORMAT: Hbk, 8.5 x 11.25 in. / 320 pgs / 162 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $60.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $84 GBP £52.00 ISBN: 9781636811536 PUBLISHER: National Gallery of Art AVAILABLE: 10/7/2025 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA LA UK EUR ASIA AFR ME
The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art
Published by National Gallery of Art. Edited by Myles Russell-Cook. Text by Leitha Assan, Tina Baum, Maxine Briggs, Daniel Browning, Clothilde Bullen, Freja Carmichael, Kelli Cole, Claire G. Coleman, Nici Cumpston, Tony Ellwood, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Michael Gentle, Sophie Gerhard, Edwina Green, Gail Harradine, Maya Hodge, Shonae Hobson, Amita Kirpalani, Marcia Langton, Simone LeAmon, Tom Mosby, Hetti Perkins, et al.
Witness Australian Indigenous art in all its myriad ingenious forms, from ochre bark paintings and experimental weavings to immersive sound and video art and powerful photographs
Published with National Gallery of Victoria and D.A.P.
The Australian continent is home to the world's oldest living culture, dating back at least 65,000 years—over 250 distinct groups survive, each with its own customs, language and art. Showcasing this cultural diversity, The Stars We Do Not See brings together standout pieces from the National Gallery of Victoria's globally recognized collection of works by Indigenous artists in an unprecedented presentation of First Nations Australian art and design.
Charting watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late 19th century to the present, the more than 200 works made by over 130 artists reveal a rich history of creativity that predates the arrival of the British. See the work of trailblazing painters including Anmatyerre superstar Emily Kam Kngwarray and Senior Yolnu artist Gulumbu Yunupinu (after whom the exhibition is titled) along with contemporary innovators Richard Bell, Maree Clarke and Betty Muffler. Apart from the vibrant illustrations, this volume also includes a foldout map of Indigenous Australia, a glossary, an expansive introductory essay and hundreds of brief texts contextualizing the works presented. Through both image and narrative, The Stars We Do Not See traces the strength, creativity and resistance of Indigenous peoples, as captured in the extraordinary breadth and depth of their many artistic traditions.
Artists include: Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Brook Andrew, William Barak, Maree Clarke, Destiny Deacon, Kitty Kantilla, Emily Kam Kngwarray, Tommy McRae, Paddy Compass Namadbara, Jimmy Njiminjuma, Rover Thomas, Christian Thompson, Judy Watson, Yirawala.
