Project Gallery

Kimberley under the stars

Trevor Nickolls began exhibiting his work in early 1970. Nickolls was the first Indigenous artist formally trained an Australian art institute, gaining a Diploma of Fine Art (painting) at the South Australia School of Fine Art, in 1972.

Trevor's art is both autobiographical and universal. Nickolls draws freely from both European and Aboriginal art traditions, although he had no real contact with Aboriginal art until late 1970 early 1980. He has gone through a variety of painterly experimental phases: incorporating dot painting and Aboriginal Symbolism, such as the great Rainbow Snake into his repertoire, as well as playing with surrealism and cartooning. His work reflects the connections he has made with other Aboriginal artists during these explorations. This painting, Kimberley under the stars was painted on an expedition to Warmun, Western Australia, in 2002, to visit Rover Thomas's country, Turkey Creek, after his death in 1998. Trevor often uses his art practice to comment on current political issues such as the topical Stolen Generation, as well as satirising materialism and advertising.

Nickolls has had an illustrious career, with his work represented in an extensive array of prestigious Regional and Australian Metropolitan Public Gallery collections. He was chosen to represent Australia in the 1990 Venice Biennale alongside Rover Thomas.

This tapestry will be the fourth completed in the series of Australian Embassy Tapestries that the Workshop has undertaken. All of these tapestries showcase Australian Aboriginal Art, presenting our unique Indigenous face to the rest of the world.Kimberleyunder the starshas been funded with the generous assistance of the Tapestry Foundation Victoria.

This tapestry was commissioned by the Tapestry Foundation ofAustraliato the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C.