Exploring themes of connection and Country, contemporary First Nations artist Dylan Sarra has launched his first solo exhibition in a regional gallery, ‘_land’, which was developed during a Queensland Museum Fellowship.
Open from Saturday 13 September at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, the First Nations Fellowship with Queensland Museum allowed Dylan to undertake research into the Burnett River region.
Grounded in storytelling, history and cultural connection, the exhibition presents parallel narratives of early settlers and Aboriginal people living in the area at the time of colonial expansion in the Bundaberg Region.
The exhibition was given the ambiguous title ‘_land’ as Dylan said he wanted to give the audience space to reflect and question.
“I am driven by the responsibility to speak when silence has been imposed,” Dylan said.
“‘_land’ is about confronting the silence around our region’s history.
“I work with sculpture, installation, print media and archival research to bring forgotten or hidden stories into view.
“The exhibition asks audiences to reflect on history not as distant, but as something that continues to shape our present.”
Dylan was able to access archival material to explore early survey work and settlement attempts and the lives of his own ancestors who were present on Country at the time.
“The Fellowship supported me in turning that research into artwork – moving beyond the written word into visual forms that speak across cultures,” Dylan said.
“Layering art and history allows me to create immersive spaces where audiences can see, feel and question the narratives they may have never been told.
“It has been a chance to bring together scholarship, memory and creativity in ways that honour both truth-telling and artistic expression.
“What inspires me most is the possibility that, by creating, I can shift perspectives not just for audiences, but for future generations, including my own children.”
The resulting exhibition is split between two sides, one text based, the other without text, and features a large-scale installation of seasonal blue tiger butterflies that leads audiences through the gallery.
“The exhibition is designed to be both visually striking and emotionally challenging,” Dylan said.
“It allows all of the audience to see themselves within this history and begin conversations that ripple outward.
“I hope audiences leave with a sense of reflection and responsibility – questioning not only what happened here, but why so much of it has remained hidden.
“More than anything, I hope it lingers with them.”
As a Gooreng Gooreng man, Dylan said his connection to the region meant it was especially meaningful to have the exhibition shown for the first time in Bundaberg.
“These stories belong to this place, and so it is important they are first spoken here,” he said.
“Our people lived through the events this exhibition explores, so my connection is not just historical, it is personal and intergenerational.
“To return the story through art, on Country, is both a responsibility and an honour.
“This is my first solo in a regional gallery, so to do this on my home turf is pretty special.”
The community can enjoy a free public art talk with Dylan on Wednesday 29 October from 5.30 to 7 pm. Bookings required.
The exhibition is on at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery until 8 November.
Find more information in Bundaberg Regional Galleries’ Spring Program.
Dylan Sarra is represented by Mitchell Fine Art Gallery.
