24th October - 15th November
Bagurrk Murrup – Kotahitanga is a groundbreaking exhibition bringing together contemporary Māori and Indigenous Australian wāhine (women) jewellers for the first time. Presented in Naarm (Melbourne) as part of Radiant Pavilion 2026 at Blak Dot Gallery.
Grounded in the principles of kotahitanga and whakawhanaungatanga, this kaupapa centres Indigenous ways of knowing, making, and being. Through adornment, each artist carries stories of whenua, whakapapa, and identity — activating jewellery not only as wearable form, but as a vessel for memory, resistance, and cultural continuity. Together, these works form a layered dialogue that speaks across generations, geographies, and lived experience.
Representing Aotearoa are Dr Areta Wilkinson, Gina Matchitt, Neke Moa, Turumeke Harrington, Tiahuia Arapeta, and Keri-Mei Zagrobelna — a collective of wāhine whose practices are grounded in mātauranga Māori and contemporary adornment. Their work reflects deep relationships to material, ancestral knowledge, and the ongoing evolution of Māori visual language.
They are joined by Aboriginal artists Maree Clarke, Molly Mahoney, Lisa Waup, Juanita McLauchlan, and Carly Tarkari Dodd. Together, these artists bring powerful practices grounded in Country, cultural revitalisation, and intergenerational knowledge. Their work spans jewellery, adornment, and installation, often activating traditional techniques alongside contemporary materials to assert presence, resilience, and sovereignty.
Bagurrk Murrup – Kotahitanga marks a significant moment of Indigenous exchange — one that not only acknowledges shared histories of colonisation and survival, but also celebrates the strength, innovation, and leadership of wāhine artists working today. This exhibition creates space for visibility on an international stage, while nurturing relationships that extend beyond the gallery context.
At its core, this is a kaupapa of connection — honouring where we come from, standing in who we are, and shaping the creative futures of Indigenous adornment.
Radiant Pavilion showcases contemporary jewellery and object practice from Naarm/Melbourne and around the world. Since 2015, it has grown over five editions to become an important point of connection for the creative community, offering opportunities to meet, collaborate, and present work in new ways. With a focus on making and exhibition practice, the program spans technical to conceptual work and traditional to experimental forms of presentation.
Radiant Pavilion 2026 runs from 24th October to 1st November.
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