Exhibitions

D'Lan Contemporary New York is honored to present a solo exhibition of paintings by renowned Australian First Nations artist, Tiger Palpatja (c. 1920 – 2012) from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands) in South Australia. Born into a traditional, nomadic life around 1920 near Nyapari, Palpatja later worked as a shearer and fencer on the Ernabella mission. He was also a highly respected senior Law man and a ngangkaṟi (traditional healer) within his community, embodying deep spiritual and cultural knowledge. Palpatja began painting late in life, at Tjala Arts in Amata in 2004 when he was approximately 84 years old. Though his artistic career was brief, his extraordinary talent and his work, characterised by a vibrant, distinctive colour palette and depictions of the Piltati Tjukurpa, quickly garnered critical acclaim. He was a finalist in the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award numerous times (2005, 2006, 2010, 2011) and the Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards in 2009 and 2011. Palpatja's legacy endures through his powerful paintings, which are held in major public collections such as the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Reverence, our annual secondary market exhibition presenting some of the finest early, modern and contemporary works of art on the market returns to our Melbourne gallery this October. The 2025 edition will feature, among a selection of early works, an extremely rare figurative sculpture by Enraeld Djulabinyanna Munkara (c. 1882-1968) and a newly, recently discovered piece from an important series of works by Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa (c. 1920-1989). Other highlights include a major painting by Rover Thomas Joolama (c. 1926–1998), a monumental painting by Ginger Riley Munduwalawala (c. 1936-2002) and a powerful piece by leading contemporary photographer and artist, Michael Cook.

D’Lan Contemporary is proud to present a collection of recent works by Reggie Uluru, a senior Traditional Owner of Uluru in the Northern Territory of Australia. Reggie’s unique paintings trace the journey of Wati Ngintaka, the Perentie Lizard Man, as he travels west, pursued by the rightful owners of a stolen grindstone. This exhibition—Reggie’s first international presentation—coincides with the 40th anniversary of the hand back of Uluru to its traditional owners by the Australian Federal Government, a landmark event in the recognition of Indigenous land rights.

'Purtanginga Ngima is a feeling, a presence, and a rhythm that pulses through Jane Margaret Tipuamantumirri’s creative practice' - Dashielle Allain, Munupi Arts Manager D’Lan Contemporary is proud to present Jane Margaret Tipuamantuamirri: Purtaninga Ngima (Rainbow Serpent Feeling), a solo exhibition which captures the essence of the artist’s Tiwi Country through works on paper and canvas from Ngaruwanatjiri Art Centre and Munupi Arts. The exhibition will coincide with the gallery's presentation at Sydney Contemporary, which also features works by Jane Margaret Tipuamantuamirri.

D’Lan Contemporary is delighted to return to Frieze Masters, London for its third consecutive year with an exhibition that will highlight the work of two pioneering artists, Makinti Napanangka (c. 1920 – 2011) and Naata Nungurrayi (c. 1932 – 2021) this October 2025. D’Lan Contemporary was the first gallery to present Australian First Nations art at Frieze Masters in 2023 with a solo exhibition of works by the internationally renowned Emily Kam Kngwarray. This was followed by another solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper by revered Gija artist, Paddy Bedford in 2024. This year's exhibition will present paintings by Makinti Napanangka and Naata Nungurrayi, two Pintupi women from the Western Desert who began painting in 1996, the same year that Emily Kam Kngwarray—whose success inspired so many women in remote Aboriginal communities to begin painting—passed away. Through their diverse perspectives, these two artists continued to expand the field of women’s desert art and together they transformed the visual language of the Australian desert landscape.

In the 1990s, the women of the Western Desert made their mark in Australian art history. After paving the way for women artists, Emily Kam Kngwarray passed away in 1996, the same year​ women from Walungurru and Kiwirrkurra began painting in a new wave that surpassed the successes of the men who had been painting for twenty years prior. Women of the Western Desert: Walungurru and Kiwirrkurra​ highlights works from the leading painters and draws from the wider history of the region to understand the context surrounding what is recognised as a ‘women’s art movement’ in the Western Desert. ​T​his exhibition precedes D’Lan Contemporary’s third consecutive participation in Frieze Masters, London this October 2025​ where the gallery will present ​the work of two leading artists​ from the Western Desert​, Makinti Napanangka and Naata Nungurraryi​, at an international art fair​ for the first time.

D’Lan Contemporary is excited to return to Sydney Contemporary once again this year with a presentation of works by Top End and Tiwi masters. The group exhibition—featuring a spectacular 45 panel work in paper by Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu, alongside works by Midpul (Prince of Wales), Kitty Kantilla and rising artists Rerrkirrwaŋa Munuŋgurr and Jane Margaret Tipuamantumirri—will celebrate some of the most dynamic art to have emerged from this region.

In July 2025, D’Lan Contemporary will present Bark Masters, an exhibition highlighting the work of some of the finest practitioners of this unique artistic tradition. For over two hundred years, thousands of artists have continued to practice and innovate one of the world’s most distinctive and significant artistic canons. Given the growing global interest in Australian First Nations art, it is both timely and appropriate to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable contributions of Australia’s great bark painters. This exhibition seeks to shed light on the lives and artistic contributions of the cultural custodians behind one of the world’s oldest continuous art forms.

Welcome to the tenth anniversary edition, and the first international edition of SIGNIFICANT. For the first time this year, SIGNIFICANT will take place across all three of our galleries—in Melbourne, Sydney, and New York—from 7 May through 3 July 2025. This new, international edition will provide collectors with a unique opportunity to view and acquire exceptional works of art across all three of our venues simultaneously, and will also provide far greater visibility to these artists and their work as we continue to foster awareness and appreciation around the world. Among the highlights is a selection of important bark paintings from the renowned Lance Bennett Collection, a powerful assemblage of Wanjina figures from the Kimberley region, and a historic group of early Papunya boards dating from 1971 to 1973. Alongside these seminal works is Kaapa Tjampitjinpa's Budgerigar Dreaming 1972, a masterpiece widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Western Desert art movement. A fine selection of urban Indigenous art by the internationally acclaimed Gordon Bennett, Lin Onus, and Daniel Boyd, who has recently garnered prestigious representation with Marian Goodman Gallery, Paris also feature. The contemporary selection includes a rare suite of nine paintings by Ngarra, alongside major works by Rover Thomas and Paddy Bedford, as well as exceptional canvases by Papunya artists Doreen Reid, Yukultji Napangati, Mantua Nangala, and a major painting by Patrick Tjungurrayi. Finally, we are deeply honoured to facilitate the sale of the monumental Thundi - Big River Barramundi Story 2008, the Bentinck Island women’s collaborative featuring Sally Gabori, Netta Loogatha, Ethel Thomas, Paula Paul, and others.

We are thrilled to present the tenth anniversary edition, and the first international edition of SIGNIFICANT across all three of our galleries—in Melbourne, Sydney, and New York—this year, from 7 May through 3 July 2025. This new, international edition will provide collectors with a unique opportunity to view and acquire exceptional works of art across all three of our venues simultaneously, and will also provide far greater visibility to these artists and their work as we continue to foster awareness and appreciation for Australian First Nations art around the world. Among the highlights is a selection of important bark paintings from the renowned Lance Bennett Collection, a powerful assemblage of Wanjina figures from the Kimberley region, and a historic group of early Papunya boards dating from 1971 to 1973. Alongside these seminal works is Kaapa Tjampitjinpa's Budgerigar Dreaming 1972, a masterpiece widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Western Desert art movement. A fine selection of urban Indigenous art by the internationally acclaimed Gordon Bennett, Lin Onus, and Daniel Boyd, who has recently garnered prestigious representation with Marian Goodman Gallery, Paris also feature and the contemporary section includes a rare suite of nine paintings by Ngarra, major works by Rover Thomas and Paddy Bedford, as well as exceptional canvases by Papunya artists Doreen Reid, Yukultji Napangati, Mantua Nangala, and a spectacular, large-scale painting by Patrick Tjungurrayi. Finally, we are deeply honoured to facilitate the sale of the monumental Thundi - Big River Barramundi Story 2008, the Bentinck Island women’s collaborative featuring Sally Gabori, Netta Loogatha, Ethel Thomas, Paula Paul, and others.  SIGNIFICANT 7 May - 3 July 2025 Melbourne | 40 Exhibition Street, VIC 3000 Sydney | 97-99 Queen Street, NSW 2025 New York | 25 East 73rd Street, NY 10021 For more details please contact: enquiries@dlancontemporary.com.au

Welcome to the tenth anniversary edition, and the first international edition of SIGNIFICANT. For the first time this year, SIGNIFICANT will take place across all three of our galleries—in Melbourne, Sydney, and New York—from 7 May through 3 July 2025. This new, international edition will provide collectors with a unique opportunity to view and acquire exceptional works of art across all three of our venues simultaneously, and will also provide far greater visibility to these artists and their work as we continue to foster awareness and appreciation around the world. Among the highlights is a selection of important bark paintings from the renowned Lance Bennett Collection, a powerful assemblage of Wanjina figures from the Kimberley region, and a historic group of early Papunya boards dating from 1971 to 1973. Alongside these seminal works is Kaapa Tjampitjinpa's Budgerigar Dreaming 1972, a masterpiece widely regarded as the pinnacle of the Western Desert art movement. A fine selection of urban Indigenous art by the internationally acclaimed Gordon Bennett, Lin Onus, and Daniel Boyd, who has recently garnered prestigious representation with Marian Goodman Gallery, Paris also feature. The contemporary selection includes a rare suite of nine paintings by Ngarra, alongside major works by Rover Thomas and Paddy Bedford, as well as exceptional canvases by Papunya artists Doreen Reid, Yukultji Napangati, Mantua Nangala, and a major painting by Patrick Tjungurrayi. Finally, we are deeply honoured to facilitate the sale of the monumental Thundi - Big River Barramundi Story 2008, the Bentinck Island women’s collaborative featuring Sally Gabori, Netta Loogatha, Ethel Thomas, Paula Paul, and others.

Few forms in global contemporary art are as visually striking and oddly familiar as larrakitj (memorial poles) from Australia’s north. Hollow, free-standing and intricately decorated, larrakitj arise from the human desire to shape the natural landscape into a symbolic marker, conveying a message to those who encounter it. Historically, larrakitj were ossuaries, the final resting place for the bones of the dead. They were decorated with clan designs to identify and protect the spirit of the deceased, then erected at a specific location. Not everyone would be granted this honour: often it was restricted to high-ranking or ritually powerful members of a clan. Larrakitj is one of the Yolŋu terms for these objects; other nearby cultural groups refer to them as lorrkon. These objects have gone by a range of descriptors, most commonly ‘hollow-log coffins’, or ‘burial poles’. The term ‘memorial poles’ acknowledges their movement beyond the confines of the mortuary process, and into a broader role in both Aboriginal society and the contemporary art world. This exhibition brings together larrakitj created by some of north-east Arnhem Land’s most consequential past and contemporary artists. D’Lan Contemporary is honoured to present this remarkable exhibition on behalf of Dennis Scholl AM and Debra Scholl AM of Miami Beach. Their extraordinary collection is a testament to their passion for Australian First Nations art. This exhibition not only highlights the beauty inherent in l-arrakitj; it also offers a powerful opportunity to foster a deeper appreciation of the cultural lives and artistic practices of Yolŋu, who continue to shape the global contemporary art landscape.

D’Lan Contemporary is delighted to present this single-owner collection of exceptional paintings and sculptures by some of north-east Arnhem Land’s modern masters. This remarkable exhibition brings together seminal works by some of the most important artists to emerge from the much-celebrated Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre. Collected through a network of relationships with artists, art centre managers and gallerists, this timely exhibition provides collectors and cultural institutions with an opportunity to acquire works of a rare quality. For well over a decade, the remote Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre at Yirrkala in the Northern Territory has been a powerhouse of energy, integrity and art making of global significance. Governed by a Yolŋu committee and serviced by a dedicated team of ŋäpaki (non-Yolŋu), the art centre’s ability to nurture creativity and the accompanying practical demands ensures that ‘Buku’ remains at the forefront of Australian cultural life. This fine collection embraces some of the most dynamic artists to ever emerge from north-east Arnhem Land. D’Lan Contemporary invites our clients to view this exciting offering at our Sydney gallery.

'Perhaps the greatest quality of Timothy Cook’s work is its stunning simplicity. His ability to take a multitude of references – subterranean, terrestrial, celestial, spiritual, ceremonial, familial – and refine these into one singular, iconic form is what truly marks Cook as a master.' - Bruce Johnson McLean D'Lan Contemporary is honoured to collaborate with celebrated Tiwi artist, Timothy Cook and Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, in what will be our first exhibition of 2025 in Australia. Japarra amantiya Japilinga: Moon and Stars, will be presented across two venues in February - at Melbourne Art Fair and at D'Lan Contemporary Melbourne. Recent paintings by Timothy on bark, linen, and carved tutuni poles, will be displayed at Melbourne Art Fair and at our Exhibition Street gallery, a curated selection of Timothy’s earlier works will be exhibited in dialogue with historical bark paintings and objects by some of the Tiwi Islands most revered artists – highlighting Timothy’s unique affinity with Tiwi art history.  The concept for this project and the upcoming exhibition was developed on a visit, last year, to Jilamara Arts by D'Lan Contemporary Head of Research, Vanessa Merlino and Director, Luke Scholes. We thank Timothy, and Jilamara Arts for their generosity and time, and for working so collaboratively with us to bring this exciting and important project to life. We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition - at both venues - and hope that you will enjoy reading the catalogue, which features two specially commissioned essays; A Star and Many Moons from Jilamara coordinator Will Heathcote and Timothy Cook: Halo written by Wierdi / BirriGubba curator and long-time supporter of Timothy Cook,Bruce Johnson McLean. Timothy Cook: Japarra amantiya Japilinga: Moon and Stars Melbourne Art Fair | 20 – 23 February 2025 D'Lan Contemporary Melbourne | 28 February – 11 April 2025

We are delighted to announce our next New York exhibition, The Hicks Collection: Eleven Exceptional Works By EMILY KAM KNGWARRAY, an extraordinary private collection of significant paintings by Australia's most celebrated contemporary artist. Meticulously assembled under the guidance of renowned Australian gallerist William Mora, each work was selected for its exceptional quality, impeccable provenance, and to represent the distinct phases of Emily’s oeuvre in her short, yet remarkable career as an artist. A revered Indigenous Australian elder who rarely left her ancestral Country, Emily was an innovative painter whose diverse and prolific output between 1989 and her death in 1996 prompted art historians, curators, and critics to question the relationship between International Modernism and Central Desert painting. Emily’s work was first presented internationally at the Australian Pavilion of the 47th Biennale di Venezia in 1997 and since then has gained immense critical stature within the broader context of contemporary painting. Twenty years later, her work returned to the Biennale di Venezia as a celebrated feature of All the World’s Futures, curated by the late Okwui Enwezor. In 2021, D’Lan Contemporary partnered with Gagosian to present Emily’s first solo exhibition in Paris. Last year, D'Lan Contemporary presented a solo exhibition of Emily’s paintings at Frieze Masters, London — the first Indigenous Australian ever to be featured. Later in 2023, the National Gallery of Australia launch her third major retrospective, which will travel to Tate Modern, London in July 2025. And, in June 2025, D'Lan Contemporary, in collaboration with Pace gallery, London, will present a solo exhibition of works by Emily Kam Kngwarray, complementing the retrospective at Tate Modern. If you wish to register your interest in the collection, please contact Director + Founder, D'Lan Davidson, to do so at dlan@dlancontemporary.com.au

We are thrilled to participate in TEFAF Maastricht 2025, one of the world’s most prestigious art, antiques and design Fairs that brings together thousands of years of art history. Our presentation features a curated selection of important paintings and sculpture – from the 1960s through to the present day – by Australia’s preeminent First Nations artists, including Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, Emily Kam Kngwarray, Rover Thomas Joolama, Goowoomji Nyunkuny Paddy Bedford, Declan Apuatimi, and Carlene West, among others, in what will be the first major exhibition of Australian First Nations artists at TEFAF Maastricht.  We are exceptionally proud to present this exhibition – which has been carefully curated over the past year – and to celebrate the extraordinary art and culture of Australia's first peoples with a global audience.  If you plan to be at the Fair, we look forward to welcoming you to our Stand, 431. 

Shaping The Landscape: Spirit Figures From Northern Australia comprises thirty-one figurative sculptures from one of the most significant and comprehensive private collections of Aboriginal sculpture held outside of Australia. Representing over 50 years of discerning acquisition, this collection brings together the sculptural traditions of three major art producing regions in Northern Australia; the Tiwi Islands, Western Arnhem Land and North-east Arnhem Land. The production of Spirit figures developed through contact with outside influences including Trepang fisherman visiting the coast of North-east Arnhem Land, missionaries and interested collectors. These figurative sculptures have since been an area of intense focus for collecting institutions in Australia and internationally. We look forward to presenting this museum quality collection at our 73rd Street gallery in early 2025.

'Perhaps the greatest quality of Timothy Cook’s work is its stunning simplicity. His ability to take a multitude of references – subterranean, terrestrial, celestial, spiritual, ceremonial, familial – and refine these into one singular, iconic form is what truly marks Cook as a master.' - Bruce Johnson McLean D'Lan Contemporary is honoured to collaborate with celebrated Tiwi artist, Timothy Cook and Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, in what will be our first exhibition of 2025 in Australia. Japarra amantiya Japilinga: Moon and Stars, will be presented across two venues in February - at Melbourne Art Fair and at D'Lan Contemporary Melbourne. Recent paintings by Timothy on bark, linen, and carved tutuni poles, will be displayed at Melbourne Art Fair and at our Exhibition Street gallery, a curated selection of Timothy’s earlier works will be exhibited in dialogue with historical bark paintings and objects by some of the Tiwi Islands most revered artists – highlighting Timothy’s unique affinity with Tiwi art history.  The concept for this project and the upcoming exhibition was developed on a visit to Jilamara Arts by D'Lan Contemporary Head of Research, Vanessa Merlino and Director, Luke Scholes in 2024. We thank Timothy, and Jilamara Arts for their generosity and time, and for working so collaboratively with us to bring this exciting and important project to life. We look forward to welcoming you to the exhibition - at both venues - and hope that you will enjoy reading the catalogue, which features two specially commissioned essays; A Star and Many Moons from Jilamara coordinator Will Heathcote and Timothy Cook: Halo written by Wierdi / BirriGubba curator and long-time supporter of Timothy Cook, Bruce Johnson McLean. Timothy Cook: Japarra amantiya Japilinga: Moon and Stars Melbourne Art Fair | 20 – 23 February 2025 D'Lan Contemporary Melbourne | 28 February – 11 April 2025 Join us for a very special Talk Series event at our Melbourne gallery at 11am on Saturday 22 February. Artist Timothy Cook, Will Heathcote (Jilamara Studio Manager), Bruce Johnson McLean (Wierdi and Birri Gubba people, independent curator, consultant), and fellow artists Conrad Tipungwuti and Walter Brooks, will join us for a discussion about contemporary Tiwi art and culture. Talk Series | Japarra amantiya Japilinga: Moon and Stars Saturday 22 February, 11am D’Lan Contemporary 40 Exhibition Street, Melbourne / Naarm VIC 3000 RSVP essential to enquiries@dlancontemporary.com.au

A striking collection of works form SUMMER, including a selection of exceptional large scale paintings by Yinarupa Nangala, Wentja Napaljarri, Ray James Tjangala and Roy Underwood, alongside works by exciting emerging talent including Steven Jupurrurla, Pauline Sunfly and Sonia Kurarra, superb works in bark by John Mawurndjul and Lofty Nadjamerreck, and sculpture by Crusoe Kurddal.

We are honoured to be entrusted with this exceptional body of work, a fitting collection to celebrate the opening of our new space in Sydney.   Every work in this refined collection has been hand-selected for its exceptional quality and to highlight the stylistic shifts throughout this significant movement’s trajectory. Presenting contemporary and expressive pieces alongside early works on wood and bark helps blur the time periods within the genre; in turn expanding our market’s knowledge and captivating a broader attention.  We open with Martuwarra 2013, a beautifully resolved work by Sonia Kurarra, presented alongside Uta Uta Tjangala’s monumental early board Untitled-Yina at Tilirangaranya 1972 – an undisputable masterpiece by the artist and one of the many focal points of this exhibition. The painting is a genuine recent discovery – originally acquired by the present owner’s family from the important early exhibition Warlpiri and Pintupi Art, held in the Barossa Arts Festival in 1973. We are truly honoured to be entrusted with this superb picture.  Another highlight is Emily Kam Kngwarray’s Untitled 1992, exhibited alongside the exceedingly rare and sculptured hooked boomerang from the nineteenth century. This is the only example of this style of boomerang to have been offered for sale, having first appeared in 2009 at a Sotheby’sAuction some 15 years later.     We are also extremely excited to offer one of Bill Whiskey’s last remaining large-scale works still remaining in private hands. This monumental picture measures 182 x 270 cm in size and possesses the soothing and healing qualities that we often see in the work of this western desert master.

Harry Tjutjuna (c.1930–2019), Dickie Minyintiri (c.1915–2014) and Tiger Palpatja (c.1920–2012) are the most significant Pitjantjatjara artists of their generation; their traditional lands, when combined, spanned the length of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands). All three men shared parallel lives and experience: they were born in the bush, and all lived a traditional life before moving to Ernabella Mission; they were senior lawmen and respected ngangkari – traditional healers. They all started painting at a late age during the mid-2000s, each developing a unique painterly style, and, at the peak of their careers, their cultural authority was unmatched, except by each other. It is truly a great honour for D’Lan Contemporary, Melbourne, to present Clever Men: Harry Tjutjuna, Dickie Minyintiri and Tiger Palpatja, a powerful single-owner collection of enormous cultural value and aesthetic beauty.

Gunybi Ganambarr | Gapu-Buḏap – Crossing the Water is now on view in our New York gallery at 25 East 73rd Street. The exhibition presents recent two- and three-dimensional works in bark and metal that reflect the innovative vision and skill of one of Buku-Larrŋgay Art Centre’s most important and groundbreaking artists. Gapu-Buḏap – Crossing the Water is the first collaboration between D’Lan Contemporary, Ganambarr, and Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre, and the first solo exhibition for the artist in New York.  Gunybi Ganambarr is a Yolngu artist who lives and works at Gängän, near Yirrkala in north-east ArnhemLand in the Northern Territory. After working as a builder in his twenties – during which time he acquired many of the skills he now uses in his practice – he began his artistic career painting on bark and Larrakitj (hollow logs). He has since extended his practice to experiment and innovate with reclaimed materials found on his Country, including wood, rubber, glass, steel, galvanized iron, and aluminum. Under the tutelage of artists such as Gawirrin Gumana and Yumutjin Wunungmurra from his mother’s Dhaḻwaŋu clan, Ganambarr has assumed ceremonial authority, which also informs and influences his work.   His work has been exhibited in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Art Pudong, Qatar Museums and Harvard Art Museums, and is held in many institutional collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.  The opening of Gapu-Buḏap– Crossing the Water coincides with the major touring exhibition, Madayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Bark Painting From Yirrkala, on view at the Asia Society in New York September 17, 2024 to January 5, 2025. Curated and narrated by the Yolŋu people of north-eastern Arnhem Land, the exhibition delves deep into the history of Yolŋu art practice and provides a context for the work of its leading artist, Gunybi Gunambarr.

Paddy Bedford: Spirit + Truth comprises a curated selection of sixteen significant paintings, from 1998 to 2004, that span Bedford’s short yet remarkable career as an artist and reflect his most important themes, alongside a gallery of twenty gouache works on paper, direct from Paddy Bedford’s estate. Bedford was introduced to the gouache medium in 1998, and frequently returned to it as part of his daily practice. The presentation of this exhibition coincides with the launch of a new book dedicated to the gouache practice of Paddy Bedford, edited by Vanessa Merlino, Head of Research at D’Lan Contemporary, and published by D’Lan Contemporary in association with the artist’s estate, which we now represent. This representation is a continuation of the work of our late dear friend and colleague William Mora, who was entrusted with managing the Estate of Paddy Bedford following the artist’s death in 2007. As one of the first Australian gallerists to present solo exhibitions by First Nations artists – with an exhibition of works by Paddy Bedford in 1998, and later exhibitions showcasing the work of Ginger Riley Munduwalawala and Queenie McKenzie – William pushed the art and culture of the first peoples of Australia into view. D’Lan Contemporary is honoured to continue the work of William Mora, and to celebrate the important legacy of Paddy Bedford by presenting his work to an international audience at Frieze Masters. We look forward to welcoming audiences to our Stand, B12.

PADDY BEDFORD: GOUACHE will present over 40 gouache works on paper held in Trust since their creation, including several of the last black and white series that Bedford painted at the end of his life. Far from ancillary to his more extensive paintings on canvas and board, Bedford’s gouache works reveal much about his instinct for form and minimalism, and his joy of painting. Individually, these works on paper can be appreciated for their poetry. Still, when exhibited en masse, they offer an opus of colour and composition that gives insight into the unique studio practice of this celebrated Gija artist.

This exhibition will present a hand-selected group of Paddy Bedford's finest paintings on canvas, alongside twenty never-before-seen gouache works on paper directly from the artist's Estate. Paddy Bedford was introduced to the gouache medium early in his career whilst visiting an artist's studio in Melbourne with gallerist Tony Oliver and two of his fellow Gija artists. Bedford quickly began working with gouache, and the result was immediately effortless. Although their energy was reminiscent of his paintings on canvas, the smaller scale of works on paper determined a dramatic scaling down of his approach and regular experiments in form and colour. However, these were not minor versions of larger or more significant pictures but something different altogether. Paddy Bedford would return to gouache as a daily part of his painting practice five years later. His compositions were endlessly variable, and the direct and informal properties of working in gouache would complement his established works on canvas. Bedford's large-scale natural and synthetic pigment paintings depicting spiritual sites of his mother's and father's Country are celebrated as some of the most significant works of his oeuvre. These paintings will form the cornerstone of the presentation. The exhibition will coincide with the publication of a book by D'Lan Contemporary, in association with the artist's Estate, dedicated to the gouache practice of Paddy Bedford. The book will feature eighty-one works currently held in Trust and will include written contributions from curators, art historians and those who knew Bedford and his practice.

D’Lan Contemporary is delighted to return to Sydney Contemporary for the 2024 edition of the Fair with a presentation that will include two specially commissioned works by Yulparitja / Mangala artist Daniel Walbidi and Wik-Mungkan / Wik-Alken artist Keith Wikmunea alongside an exceptional painting by the revered Anmatyerr artist Emily Kam Kngwarray and eight recently rediscovered works in gouache by celebrated Gija artist, Paddy Bedford. The presentation will also feature a suite of ten works by Gija artist Butcher Cherel Janangoo, a significant group of paintings by celebrated Balgo artist, Boxer Milner Tjampitjin and a spectacular ‘wall of Wanjinas’: twenty-two small yet striking works on bark by the little-known Wunambal artists, Ignatia Djanghara, Waigan Djanghara, and an equally extraordinary unknown artist, Molly.

This year, we have honoured the historical narrative of Australian First Nations art by ​c​urating the collection chronologically to create a clearer interpretation for our audiences – both in Australia and abroad. An early highlight is Yingapungapu at Djarrakpi​ circa 1962​ by ​t​he often-overlooked Yolŋu artist, Narritjin Maymuru.​ This exceptional work is an incredible discovery​ for us – having never appeared at auction in Australia before.​ Rain Dreaming with​ Ceremonial Man, another ​highlight by Johnny Warangula, is regarded as​ the most encyclopaedic of his Kalipinypa paintings. I encourage you to read​ Professor Howard Morphy’s and John Kean’s authoritative essays on both of these works when our catalogue is released. ​And, we ​are thrilled to rediscover Alec Mingelmanganu’s​ Wanjina​ circa 1980 – one of the last large-scale canvases by this most important artist​ to​ remain in private hands.​ Another significant highlight is​ Emu​ 1990 by Emily Kam​ Kngwarray​ –​ a distinctive picture ​which resonates with iconic qualities. This work has been in the same private collection since 2003 and was exhibited in the first important retrospective ​o​f Emily's work in 2008. Finally, Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri’s monumental master​piece Rockholes near the Olgas​ 2007 caps off a truly remarkable body of institutional-quality work within th​i​s collection.

'Even though people see my art as contemporary, the subject matter always remains – it is Country and water.'  Daniel Walbidi Yurlupirti - Forever Without End (eternal) marks our second collaboration with ​Daniel W​albidi and his representative, Short St Gallery,​ following the first sell-out show in New York in 2023. Yurlupirti - Forever Without End (eternal) presents ten new paintings by ​the artist that reveal a transition in his practice and delve deeper into his personal beliefs and cultural perspectives, which are invariably grounded in the land.  This exhibition is now on view in our new gallery space in New York, at 25 East 73rd Street, NY 10021.

Located in the remote community of Aurukun on the West coast of Queensland's Cape York Peninsula, the Wik & Kugu Arts Centre services the community's five Clans, supporting and celebrating contemporary cultural expression through the arts across the Wik and Kugu regions. In the first collaboration of its kind, this exhibition will showcase the innovative art practices of twelve artists from the Wik & Kugu Arts Centre. Twenty-five works from both emerging and established artists will form an immersive installation in the first-ever sculpture-only exhibition at D'Lan Contemporary. The gallery's spaces will host many of the Clan's or Arukun's totemic figures, such as a large pack of camp dogs, several sculpted birds such as jabaru and brolga, a large cockatoo installation by recent NAATSIA Award-winning artist Keith Wikmunea and a flying fox installation by Winchanam artist Alair Pambegan. The iconic camp dogs are cheeky but serious, with a number of these works having been painted in colour palettes unseen before; it will also be the first time that Keith Wikmunea has exhibited his large format works alongside the rest of the Wik & Kugu male cohort of artists.

Painting was originally a tool that the Spinifex people used to claim their birthright in a new world; it was a medium that did not require language to teach outsiders the sacredness of the Country they knew. Through the Spinifex Arts Project, people have continued to pass this sacred knowledge on to the next generation of artists as a gift that allows the Spinifex people to safely exist between both worlds. The senior artists in this exhibition have propelled the arts project to a place of international and domestic acclaim. Working in a sphere beyond the contemporary art scene produces works that lack pretence; rather, they represents Spinifex Law and a complete embodiment of place. The artworks coming from this remote community are of global significance and bring forth stories and tradition that has endured over 60,000 years. RILEY ADAMS BROWN Studio Manager, Spinifex Arts Project

We are delighted to announce EMINENCE, our inaugural New York exhibition featuring a hand-picked selection of works of intrinsic beauty and quality, combined with impeccable provenance, by some of the most established artists in this critical segment of the collecting market. Within this year’s collection, the driving forces of the market – Emily Kam Kngwarray, Rover Thomas and Paddy Bedford – are strongly represented, along with the rising stars such as Pepai Carroll, Sally Gabori and Angelina Pwerle, with exceptional examples of their work. The oldest serving community art centre, Papunya Tula Artists, is also featured, with works by founding artists Anatjari Tjakamarra, George Tjungurrayi and Mick Namarari. Doreen Reid and Naata Nungurrayi, at the forefront of women’s painting, revolutionised the movement through their singular depictions of Country; in this collection, their works present the same subject, the site of Marrapinti. Please email us at enquiries@dlancontemporary.com.au to register interest in this exhibition.

REVERENCE, our annual exhibition featuring works of art by leading Australian First Nations artists. This year we are very excited to ‘flip the script’ and highlight twenty contemporary works from the phenomenal private collection of Barrie and Jude Le Pley. Of the many highlights are works by Stumpy Brown, Pulpurru Davies, Timothy Cook, Kuwayi Nampitjinpa, Regina Wilson and three by Nora Wompi, which are unsurpassed in quality. And we are honoured to represent the rarely found work of Tommy McRae – Before the Fight – A War Dance circa 1890s. This work was sold through Sotheby’s in 2005 and has not been seen in the public realm ever since.

We are honoured to participate in Frieze Masters 2023. A significant step for our gallery, it is even more so for the Australian First Nations artists we represent. For such an important event, it is only appropriate to continue the work achieved for one of Australia’s most acclaimed and embraced artists – Emily Kam Kngwarray. The exceptional selection of works within this exhibition is the culmination of almost two years of procurement – resulting in one of the finest collections of Kngwarray’s work on view today. Each and every work has been hand picked for its exceptional quality and to highlight each of the stylistic shifts throughout the artist’s short yet prolific career.

Spinifex Country presents a stunning group of paintings from one of the most distinctive and captivating of Australia’s First Nations art movements, gathered from a single, private collection. Spinifex Country belongs to the Pila Nguru, or Spinifex people of Western Australia, whose lands extend to the border of South Australia and the north of the Nullabor Plain. The community of Tjuntjuntjarra, home to the Spinifex Arts Project, is the most remote in the country, located some 700km (430 miles) east of Kalgoorlie. Revered artist Lawrence Pennington holds a passionate focus in this collection, and his exquisite ephemeral works lead the exhibition. The matriarchs of the Spinifex Arts Project – Estelle Hogan, Tjaruwa Woods and Carlene West – show the vibrant energy of the women and their outstanding contribution to the movement. Senior holders of Tjukurpa and Law, Simon Hogan, Roy Underwood, and Ned and Fred Grant, are also represented, with several significant paintings that showcase their signature styles, these styles being united as one in the powerful collaborative work Pukara 2014.

How are memories of place conceptualised by the ancestral narratives of the Dreaming and its Songlines, and how do they find expression in painting? How is cultural knowledge retained, generated and communicated through memory? Is artistic memory compromised or strengthened in old age? For Sydney Contemporary 2023, D’Lan Contemporary will present a group show of selected artists illuminating and confounding ancestral, personal, generational, and collective memories in their work. Emerging artists Dora Parker and Timo Hogan from Spinifex Arts Project will sit alongside masters such as Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Paddy Bedford and Makinti Napanangka, as well as select artists from the Wanarn Painting Program in Western Australia.

Since recently opening our new space on the Upper East Side in New York, a fantastic opportunity has arisen to continue to bring the most exciting and innovative of Australia’s First Nations artists to the attention of both local and international audiences. In celebration of the recent release of the book, Sun and Shadow: Art of the Spinifex People, D’Lan Contemporary New York is thrilled to present a select group of new works from established and emerging artists of the Spinifex Arts Project.

Contemporary Australian First Nations art since the 1990s saw both further developments of abstraction in painting and the rise of influential women artists from across the central and western deserts. Featuring works from many of Australia's most prominent artists such as Ginger Riley, Paddy Bedford and Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, Significant Part II will also feature works by prominent women artists such as the great Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Eubena Nampitjinpa, Makinti Napanangka, Naata Nungurrayi and Carlene West.

This year, our most highly anticipated annual exhibition, Significant, will be presented in two parts to showcase the breadth of the finest of modern and contemporary Australian First Nations art. Part I will feature works of impeccable provenance from the first ten years from the birth of the Western Desert art movement in Papunya. Alongside one of the most significant recent painting discoveries by protagonist Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa - Mikantji and Tywerl, 1971 - this select group of works features other important paintings by many of the movement's founding artists, such as Old Walter Tjampitjinpa, Anatjari Tjakamarra and Timmy Payungka Tjapangati.

Coinciding with the inaugural opening of our contemporary space on 81st Street in New York, we are honoured to be entrusted with this exceptional body of work by Australia’s highly acclaimed and leading Yulparitja/Mangala artist – Daniel Walbidi. We would like to thank Daniel and his primary representative – Emily Rohr and Short St Gallery, for entrusting us with this glorious exhibition. Daniel Walbidi’s art practice is a visual cultural language – an esoteric dictionary of the ancient metaphysical world of desert people. His is not just story-telling or documenting the landscape; he is touching on deeper, more profound elements of desert law and culture, which dates back to the birth of humanity. For desert people, dots are used because there is no such thing as a solid. Something quantum physics has proven, we momentarily take on a form, but it is ever-changing. Cultural desert people have a deep understanding of this. They have seen massive changes in terms of the climate to the dominant political systems, yet firmly entrenched in their raison d’etre is a complex understanding of the metaphysical and the true nature of consciousness. - Emily Rohr, Short St Gallery Contact us at enquiries@dlancontemporary.com.au to register your interest in this exhibition.

This exhibition presents a select group of works from the Estate of the commanding Ngaanyatjarra artist and Maparnjarra – medicine man – Jackie Kurltunyintja Giles (circa 1937 -2010). Renowned as a man of supreme cultural knowledge, Jackie Giles lived and worked at the remote community of Patjarr, WA, where he bridged two worlds as both healer and painter. Please contact us at enquiries@dlancontemporary.com.au to register interest.

It is difficult to imagine that there could be a more urgent time than now to learn the lessons exhibited here from our First Nation artists at Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre. These significant works of art, bark paintings, larrakitj (hollow logs) and visual symphonies of poetic paintings, are brimming with ancient narrative, song and poetry and embody the spiritual connection of all things within nature. Facing East is a collective breath of life as we face the rising of the sun. It is the embodiment of the Yolŋu philosophy of daily life. It is an honour to be able to present these works of art, and it is a timely moment within history to be able to share these lessons with the world, journeying off the shore of this island of Australia. As the wisdom of these lessons winds and flows and takes root in the consciousness of all who witness these ancient epic visual poems and songs, we hope that they are received with the wonder and respect and attention that they deserve. MARIELLE SONI Senior Specialist, D’Lan Contemporary

Collectors Barrie and Jude Le Pley have closely followed the development of contemporary Australian First Nations art since the early 1970s. Since then, their collection has grown out of a sustained interest in the lives of the artists over many years, focusing on major works by Australia’s most significant artists across thirty Indigenous art centres.

Head of Research, Vanessa Merlino describes the vast Untitled 1992 as 'a captivating, apportioned work of two faces. So balanced are the two halves of the canvas, each side could be appreciated on its own, yet the gaze as it travels across the surface meets no interruption in its passage.'

A group exhibition featuring rare and early bark paintings, objects, and carvings from the 1940s through to 1960s by artists from far northern and coastal communities.

An annual selling exhibition featuring works of art by leading Australian Indigenous artists. Reverence 2022 features the collection of the Late Grant Smith (1942 - 2022), former gallery manager of Gabrielle Pizzi Galleries.

We are delighted to present BALGO: VISIONS | EUBENA, a compelling exhibition of foundational artworks celebrating the thirty-fifth anniversary of Warlayirti Artists, Balgo. Divided into two distinct collections, including works by Eubena Nampitjin intended to flow as a complementary representation of one of Australia’s leading artistic movements, this exhibition will feature across our two gallery spaces at 40 Exhibition Street, Melbourne.

EUBENA: SELECT WORKS FROM THE ESTATE OF EUBENA NAMPITJIN This exhibition will open in Melbourne on 26 August, featuring works by one of Balgo’s founding and most renowned artist, Eubena Nampitjin. D’C is proud to have been entrusted with a special consignment directly from Warlayirti Artists, with the support of Eubena’s daughter Jane Gimme, also an artist and non-executive director of Warlayirti Artists. This initiative marks the first in a series of similar, upcoming activations / collaborations between art centres and D'Lan Contemporary.

Significant 2022, our annual selling exhibition presenting exceptional modern and contemporary works of art by leading First Nations artists to market, will take place in Melbourne 24 June-29 July. The exhibition will feature two major collections of early Papunya boards - including Old Man Dreaming - Yina 1972 - several of which are of the finest quality we have ever exhibited, alongside works by founding masters including Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, Uta Uta Tjangala, Shorty Lungkata and Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri. Significant 2022 will also present early and important bark paintings by Yirawala, MawalanMarika, Peter Maralwanga and John Mawurndjul, and in the contemporary section, works by Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Rover Thomas, Doreen Reid and Boxer Milner.

Exhibition in Association with Ricco Maresca Galleries (NYC) With the cooperation of the Australian Consulate-General New York D'Lan Contemporary is excited to present two concurrent exhibitions of the work of the Australian Indigenous master Paddy Bedford, the first solo shows of the artist to take place in the United States. Concurrent with the exhibition at Ricco/Maresca's New York exhibition, we also had a booth at the Independent Art Fair in New York (May 5 - 8) will include Bedford's works of gouache on board. The gallery exhibition (opening on May 6) will showcase important paintings by the artist. Independent Art Fair: May 5 -8 | Spring Studios: 50 Varick St. Gallery Exhibition: May 6 - June 18 | Reception: May 6, 6-8pm

John Mawurndjul is one of Australia’s most important artist and one of the most experimental bark painters of Arnhem Land. He has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions and is represented in most major state and many private collections. Mawurndjul’s career highlights include a major personal retrospective << rarrk>> John Mawurndjul: Journey Through Time in Northern Australia at the Museum Tinguely in basel in 2005 and John Mawurndjul: I Am the Old and the New at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney in 2018 that toured nationally. Many of the works in this exhibition hold significant exhibition history which include the major retrospectives. The works in this exhibition span a period from 1987 to 2015 - and most are from the collection of Bill and Anne Gregory - presenting a rare opportunity to see the development of a great artist over nearly twenty years. The exhibition includes earlier figurative works from the 1990s through to the abstract Mardayin Ceremony paintings that heralded his mature style in 2003.

Large scale selling exhibition of the most significant indigenous artworks to come to market in 2021.