Koolark Koort Koorliny [Heart Coming Home]
This exhibition celebrates the 10th anniversary of the repatriation of the Collection of Carrolup Children’s Artwork to Noongar Boodja.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the John Curtin Gallery is exhibiting never-before-seen footage of the child artists creating their precious works in the 1940s, after they had been forcibly taken from their families and interned at the remote WA settlement of Carrolup.
Among the new works featured in the anniversary exhibition are three drawings donated by Curtin Fine Arts graduate Priscilla Kelly, the granddaughter of Charles (Charlie) Cook who was the Carrolup school inspector in 1950.
The children’s artworks had laid undiscovered in storage at Colgate University for 40 years before, in a gesture of goodwill, they were returned in 2013 completing a remarkable 63-year journey circumnavigating the globe.
Some Carrolup children became prolific artists, surprising the world with their ability to depict their depth of understanding and connection to Country.
Alongside these works, we also showcase a selection of additional Carrolup artworks that have been acquired over the last decade, especially since 2020 when plans for the Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling emerged as the new permanent home for The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork.
Opening Event: Thursday 11 May
Exhibition: 12 May – 9 July 2023
Supported By: This exhibition is presented in partnership with BHP and Lotterywest, Colgate University, University Art Museums Australia.
Acknowledgment: The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork was generously donated for educational and research purposes by Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA.
