Koukouvagia: Boobook at the Tali Gallery

Owl2, Summer Matthews, painted slumped glass

Aboriginal and Greek culture merge in the Koukouvagia: Boobook exhibition, a unique celebration of national diversity as part of the 30th Greek Festival of Sydney. Tali Gallery will play host to works from throughout New South Wales and the Northern Territory, and will include interactive displays at the Darling Harbour launch of the Greek Festival.

Featuring works by established and emerging indigenous artists from a range of backgrounds, the exhibition focuses on the Owl, a significant symbol within both Greek and Indigenous cultures. With numerous communities and cultures constituting the whole in both Greece and Australia, the owl is a resonant icon of commonality, tolerance and unity through which people can relate to each other, a concept that is poignant as ever in contemporary Australia.

Each incarnation of the owl reflects a different interaction with and experience of Indigenous culture and history, in which the individual hand of the artist is evident. The works are presented in a vast array of media including drawings, acrylic and ochre paintings, carved and painted wood and painted tin, that bring an earthiness and tangibility to the rich history from which the stories come. The initiative is a positive step in the journey towards constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, in which support of the arts is vital.

The Koukouvagia: Boobook Exhibition will run from the 2nd to 30th March at the Tali Gallery, Rozelle, with Interactive Displays at the Darling Harbour Launch; 25th and 26th February. See Tali Gallery website for details of associated talks, workshops and events listed under ‘News’.

www.taligallery.com.au

Story by Jillian Grant