Art Pharmacy recently collaborated with 1 Denison and Aboriginal Contemporary to present Forever Strong, a powerful exhibition of remote community Aboriginal art that celebrated NAIDOC WEEK 2025 with the theme being: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.”
This immersive three-month showcase transformed the 1 Denison lobby into a vibrant cultural space that championed storytelling, intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and the enduring vitality of First Nations culture.
The exhibition featured significant works from leading Aboriginal artists including Janice Stanley, Jan Griffiths, Cynthia Burke, Tracey Ramsay, Bugai Whyoulter, and Atipalku Intjalki. These artists hail from communities across Australia’s central and western deserts and represent a lineage of cultural custodianship. Each work reveals the strength and vision passed down through families and communities, honouring Dreaming stories (Tjukurrpa), sacred sites, and living Country.
At its heart, Forever Strong is a testament to cultural resilience. Many of the exhibited stories can only be shared by those within the family line; painted with care, authority, and deep personal connection. From the salt lakes of Atila in Janice Stanley’s works to the ancestral hillscapes of Tracey Ramsay’s Bow River Country, these paintings invite viewers to explore Country through layers of tradition, memory, and spiritual significance.
Each artist brings a unique perspective to the theme of legacy:
- Janice Stanley’s work pays homage to the Seven Sisters Dreaming near Atila, capturing the movement of water across salt lakes and the changing light of Country. Her connection to her grandmother and aunties is not only cultural but also creative, a generational lineage of artists shaping and sharing story through visual form.
- Jan Griffiths reflects on her grandmother’s experience of colonisation in History Beneath the Beauty, a poignant portrayal of Woorrilbem. Through the delicate painting of lily pads, Griffiths offers a visual meditation on place, beauty, and survival.
- Cynthia Burke’s topographical paintings of Warakurna document seasonal change and landforms from an intimate perspective. Drawing on what she learned from her mother and uncle, who were both significant artists, Burke continues to develop a visual language that speaks to both tradition and personal growth.
- Bugai Whyoulter’s Wantili honours her upbringing along the Canning Stock Route. Through textured brushwork, Bugai captures a sacred site central to her family’s stories and to the wider Martu culture.
- Atipalku Intjalki’s depiction of Tjukurrpa Mulayangu offers a glimpse into a sacred men’s site near her father’s Country. Her minimal yet powerful use of colour and form reflects a life dedicated to the innovation of cultural practice through multiple mediums.
- Tracey Ramsay, a rising Gija artist, shares stories of Bow River Dreaming through bold, glyph-like symbolism that conceal and reveal cultural knowledge. Her work marks the intersection of past and future, offering viewers an insight into place and identity.
Through vibrant palettes, intricate symbolism, and ancestral storytelling, Forever Strong not only showcases artistic excellence but also transforms the architectural lobby of 1 Denison into a powerful site of cultural learning and dialogue – standing as a living tribute to the strength and creativity of the next generation of First Nations artists.
Art Pharmacy is honoured to play a role in bringing these stories to the fore, reminding us that through art, we carry legacy, we shape vision, and we stay forever strong.
