Tjungu Tjukurrpa - Paris, here are our Dreams!

September 10 - October 15, 2022, PARIS.

Tjungu Tjukurrpa – Paris, here are our Dreams! celebrates and explores the multidisciplinary practice of women artists from the Aboriginal community of Ikuntji, located in the central desert of Australia.

First collective exhibition of Ikuntji Artists in the French capital, the exhibition will be inaugurated during the visit of a delegation of Ikuntji artists to Paris on Saturday September 10 at 6 p.m.

It presents a superb selection of works of art and objects exploring various practices, from painting and printmaking to textiles, combines established artists and young artists, and is accompanied by a publication and public events.

Useful information :

Dates: September 10 – October 15, 2022

Special events:

  • Saturday September 10 at 6 p.m.: inauguration ceremony, in the presence of the artists ( see details )
  • Monday September 12 at 6 p.m.: guided tour, in the presence of the artists ( see details )

Address :

Space New Angles - Five Seeds
8, Passage du Grand Cerf
Paris 2nd – France

Hours of operation :

  • Thursday – Friday: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Saturday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • And by appointment

For any questions, RSVP or receive the media kit: info@idaia.com.au or info@idaia.fr

For the catalog of the exhibition: click here

Artist Pam Brown painting at Ikuntji © Ikuntji Artists

The Ikuntji Artists Cooperative is located in the Aboriginal community of Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji), in the heart of Australia's red centre, 227 km from Alice Springs. Established in 1992, the cooperative is the first created by women artists in the deserts of central Australia.
The artists draw inspiration from their ngurra (ancestral country or land) and their Tjukurrpa (dreams, or legendary stories), interpreting their ancestral stories using traditional symbols, icons and motifs. They work in a wide range of mediums, producing mainly acrylic paintings, and since 2016 have developed a wide range of textile designs exploring a multitude of approaches and techniques.
In 30 years of existence, the artistic movement of Ikuntji has developed and become an important player in the world of Australian art. In parallel, the artists' cooperative has become the cultural center of the community, now strengthening and invigorating cultural practices through artistic creation.

'Tjungu Tjukurrpa' means 'Our Dreams' in Luritja, the local Aboriginal language, and was suggested by the cooperative for the title of the exhibit. The Dreams are traditional ancestral stories explaining the creation of the world, which are transmitted from generation to generation, and are present or associated in all the works presented in the exhibition.
Through their brightly colored paintings as well as their boldly patterned fabrics, the artists present their unique vision of their ancestral lands and the dreams associated with them, stretching for hundreds of kilometers across the deserts of the center-west of Australia.
Although seemingly abstract, the works refer to ancestral beings and often depict specific landscapes of the region, such as rolling sand hills, blooming bush flowers, color-changing rocks, sacred trees and ancestral women dancing or traveling.

The incredible dynamism of the Ikuntji Artists is reflected in the selection of works, illustrating the rich diversity of mediums, styles and techniques developed by the artists.
The selection includes acrylic paintings, prints, textiles, photographs, textile accessories from Ikuntji's IDAIA x Artists collection, as well as handicrafts.

Works of art and exhibits are available for sale to generate income for the artists and the co-operative, and to help support Australia's ethical and sustainable Indigenous art sector.

Exhibition organized by IDAIA in collaboration with Ikuntji Artists, in partnership with New Angles – Five Seeds and with the support of the Australian Embassy in France.

- CLICK HERE FOR ENGLISH VERSION -