Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda
25 August 2022
Honouring The Irrepressible Passion Of Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda (Sally Gabori)
How wonderful for our Wellesley Islands communities to see their Kaiadilt Elder and world-renowned artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda (Sally Gabori) honoured with a major exhibition hosted by Cartier at the distinguished Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris, France.
This exhibition was opened in late June, by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an engagement that was amongst his first since he was sworn in as Prime Minister of Australia on 23 May 2022. His social media page declares that he was honoured to be there.
“Sally Gabori’s paintings are energetic, and her irrepressible passion for her homeland shines through in every canvas.”
Also at the exhibition opening were Sally Gabori’s daughter Amanda Gabori and great-granddaughters Tori Wilson and Narelle Gabori.
Surprisingly, this is also the first solo exhibition of Sally Gabori’s work.
Sally started her career late in life after she and other Elders were invited to Mirnidyan Gununa, the arts centre on Mornington Island. Already an accomplished weaver, she took to painting and quickly developed her own brightly coloured, iconic style.
Her depictions of Country are abstract but retain representational elements which map traditional country and cultural identity in monumental paintings.
This style and the inimitable spirit of Sally live on through the works of her family and other artists, particularly at Mirnidyan Gununa.
The solo exhibition is heralded as an important exchange of culture between Australia and France with curator Juliette Lecorn at the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain quoted as saying they believe Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda (Sally Gabori) is “one of the greatest Australian Aboriginal artists”.
