Adnate – Into The Sun. In his first solo exhibition in Sydney, the scale of his imagery has shrunk to the gallery wall, yet the power of his vision has intensified. His friends from his travels in the remote Indigenous communities have become evocative metaphors of reconciliation and understanding what is at the heart of Indigenous culture. Adnate uses the faces of his subjects whether a child from Arnhem Land, a woman from India or a monk from Tibet, to reveal the spiritual embodiment of what it is to be human. His technique, skilful in the extreme, has evolved to a point where he can capture the essence of the country in these works.
For Indigenous Australians, their country, the sand, the earth, water and sun are utterly critical to their very being and existence. In this exhibition, the young inhabit Adnate’s pictures, innocent yet old wise eyes – for they have a history of profound understanding of what it is to inhabit the land. Free to travel and understand their country, the children of the communities are told of their history through the stories of their elders, through ceremony and music.
Adnate’s relationship with the great musician, Djalu Gurruwiwi who is regarded as the greatest didgeridoo player alive has given him access to a culture that few experience and less record. It’s Adnate’s absolute sensitivity that brings these images to life in the gallery and on the walls of the world thus engaging the broader community with the infinite possibilities that culture offers.
Adnate – Into The Sun
Film by Ben Strunin
Exhibition at Art Equity Gallery in Sydney, Australia 18th May – 2nd June 2015
The second portrait exhibition on Australian Indigenous Culture by Adnate, featuring Djalu Gurruwiwi