SEVEN SISTERS – THE COLLECTOR’S SHOW
Seven Sisters – Kungkarangkalpa – is one of the most powerful and enduring Tjukurpa (Ancestral Law) songlines in Australia’s First Nations culture. This rich, ancient narrative spans thousands of kilometres across Aboriginal lands and tells the story of seven ancestral women fleeing from Wati Nyiru, a shape-shifting trickster figure. As they travel across Country, they transform the landscape—ultimately taking flight into the sky, becoming what is now known as the Pleiades star cluster.
The Seven Sisters story is shared by many Aboriginal communities, each offering their own interpretation based on their language, Country, and cultural context. At its heart, the story speaks of escape, resilience, transformation, and the sacred and inseparable relationship between land, sky, and people.
Far more than a myth from the past, Kungkarangkalpa is living Tjukurpa—active Law—held in Country, carried in ceremony, sung in song, and kept alive in the hearts of the people. As the sisters journeyed, they shaped the land, leaving behind waterholes, rock formations, and sacred sites that are still honoured and protected today. This story is not only a cultural inheritance—it is a map, a guide, and a legacy.
The Tjukurpa follows the sisters as they travel together, constantly pursued by Wati Nyiru, who uses magic and deceit to try to capture them. But the sisters are strong, clever, and united. They fly, hide, and outwit him, shaping the land as they go. Embedded within the story are deep teachings about women’s strength, kinship, survival, and the importance of maintaining respect and Law between men and women.
The works in this exhibition come from art centres predominantly across the APY and NPY Lands—places where culture continues to thrive, and where senior women pass down these stories to younger generations through painting, dance, and ceremony. These paintings are more than artworks; they are expressions of knowledge, acts of memory, and tools of education. They are part of the ongoing work of cultural preservation and renewal.
Seven Sisters – The Collector’s Show
“This exhibition is arguably one of the most important that Artitja has held in our twenty-one years of operation. It features exceptional works by senior Indigenous artists and has been formally endorsed by Professor Margo Ngawa Neale, a Gumbaynggirr and Wiradjuri woman and renowned curator of the internationally touring Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters exhibition, which opened at Perth’s WA Museum Boola Bardip in 2020.
Here, artists speak with their own voice and style, but always with cultural authority. Many interpretations of the story are visible: some depict bold, rhythmic patterns of the land; others focus on the star women shining in the night sky; some use symbolic forms and codes that carry meanings only understood by those with the right knowledge. Every dot, every mark, every colour has purpose.
This exhibition is a celebration of strength, storytelling, and cultural continuity. It honours the women who hold and share these stories, and invites all of us to slow down, to engage deeply, and to be immersed in the world of Kungkarangkalpa.
The Seven Sisters still move through the sky each night—watching and teaching about resilience, about Country, and the enduring power of Tjukurpa.
“This is the most remarkable exhibition of the Seven Sisters songlines I have seen since the original major one. I congratulate Artitja for securing such excellent works. This is a boutique exhibition of strong pieces by high-quality artists.” – Professor Margo Ngawa Neale, a Gumbaynggirr and Wiradjuri woman, Australian author, historian and curator of Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters.
The exhibition is most definitely inspired by the Songlines exhibition, which had a profound educational and visual impact on audiences at the time. We are honoured to have Professor Neale’s endorsement. Not only does this keep the memory of that powerful show alive—it continues its legacy by presenting works from artists who were part of it.”
Anna Kanaris
Artitja Fine Art Gallery
About the screenings
The Northbridge Piazza Screen hosts a variety of events, from formal showings of feature films, complete with bean bag seating, to more casual gatherings for sporting events and exhibitions like this one.
Visitors can relax on the lawn, savour the renowned culinary delights of Northbridge, or enjoy a stroll along James Street, taking in the vibrant neighbourhood.
See the festival guide for screening times. https://screenarts.com.au/goologoolup-25/
Image Credit
Detail of Angkaliya Curtis – Cave Hill
122x152cm | ART200873AC
Courtesy of https://artitja.com.au/