Tarnanthi: Open Hands 2020

Open Hands is this year's inspiring focus exhibition of Tarnanthi, the Art Gallery of South Australia's annual celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

Open Hands pays tribute to the work of senior artists who pass on vital cultural knowledge to younger generations as the future leaders of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through the act of making, they channel deep connections to Country and culture as they relate knowledge and expertise, stories and experiences.

Through a variety of media. Open Hands honours the ongoing and often unseen work of women in communities to maintain culture. Keeping these stories alive and sharing knowledge is deeply embedded in everyday cultural life across Australia.

Tarnanthi 2020 also includes the Tarnanthi Art Fair, public programs such as talks and tours, activities in the Studio, and student engagement. A 200-page full-colour publication accompanies the exhibition.

Tarnanthi is presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia with Principal Partner BHP and support from the Government of South Australia.

Image caption: Elisa Jane Carmichael, Ngugi/Quandamooka people, South East Queensland, born 1987, Brisbane, Sonja Carmichael, Ngugi/Quandamooka people, South East Queensland, born 1958, Brisbane, Yagabili wunjayi (make today), 2019, Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), Queensland, cyanotype on cotton; Courtesy the artists and Onespace Gallery, photo: Grant Hancock.