The exhibition an Aboriginal Culinary Journey celebrates the world’s oldest living culture, taking visitors on a journey that combines ancestral Australian art and food culture with the best of contemporary design.
This ground-breaking exhibition curated by Margo Ngawa Neale, features objects used for food gathering and preparation such as grinding stones, cutting tools (flints), coolamons, firesticks, and baskets associated with Indigenous food culture, alongside the Breville kitchen objects, painted by Western desert artists from Kiwirrkurra: Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri (Pintupi), Yalti Napangati (Pintupi), and Nikua (Yukultji) Napangati (Pintupi) and Sydney-based artist Lucy Simpson (Yuwaalaraay).
This entrepreneurial project is testament to best practice in Community consultation, collaboration, design and innovation, with 100% of profits generated by Breville’s affiliated retail range being returned to Indigenous community and organisations, and with artists retaining copyright and receiving royalties from sales.
The exhibition celebrates the continuum of Indigenous cultural practice, innovation, and design and was the brainchild of Alison Page, a descendant of the Walbanga and Wadi Wadi people of the Yuin Nation. Alison was appointed as Breville Curator for an Aboriginal Culinary Journey and is also a member of the NMA’s Indigenous Reference Group. The collaboration has been overseen by Meriam/Wuthathi woman and Intellectual Property lawyer, Dr Terri Janke.
Exhibition open from 11 May to 7 July, 2023
Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm
Dame Quentin Bryce Gallery, Embassy of Australia, 1145 17th St NW, Washington DC 20036. Photo ID essential for entry.
For further information call (202) 797-3000 or email: Cultural.RelationsUS@dfat.gov.au.
For Security reasons, the gallery may be closed due to private events. We recommend calling ahead to verify hours.
If you have a group of four or more please contact cultural.relationsUS@dfat.gov.au to schedule.
“Wrapped in Country, these once ordinary appliances have become cultural ambassadors, not unlike the Aboriginal paintings that adorn the walls of people’s homes. They act like doorways to Indigenous knowledges, giving insights into our continuing connection to Country.”
Margo Ngawa Neale, Head of the National Museum’s Indigenous Knowledges Centre and Senior Indigenous Curator