Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection proudly presents Cammeerangan Ngalin-ngur Gining | From Our Ancestors’ Hands – Story Bags, the first international solo exhibition by acclaimed Quandamooka artist Sonja Carmichael. From Our Ancestors’ Hands – Story Bags celebrates Sonja Carmichael’s pioneering role in the regeneration of Quandamooka weaving traditions. Through intricately woven gulayi (Quandamooka women’s bags), Carmichael honours the knowledge and practices passed down through generations, connecting with the hands of her ancestors while creating works that speak powerfully to the present.
Using traditional fibres such as ungaire (freshwater swamp reed), alongside shells, ghost nets, fishing lines and other marine debris collected on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island, Carmichael transforms reclaimed materials into compelling works that embody cultural resilience, renewal and care for Country. This new body of work explores the enduring presence of Giibum (the moon), whose rhythms guide the tides and the cycles of life on Quandamooka Country. It also honours the seasonal return of Yalingbila (humpback whales), whose migration has become a powerful symbol of cultural survival, continuity and hope. At the heart of the exhibition is a major new installation that reflects Carmichael’s ongoing dialogue between tradition, contemporary practice and community.
- Sonja Carmichael. Photo by Angie Simms and North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah. Courtesy of the artist and Onespace.