Exhibitions Open to the Public
Once Known
Opened for the first time at the Old Perth Boys’ School, Once Known, presents a selection of meticulous reproductions of the delicate and treasured artworks created by Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families and detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s.
Kattidj Nagãr [Peaceful Quiet Reflection]
Kattidj Nagãr features artworks and personal objects created by the children who were forcibly removed from their families and detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s
A call and response across the ocean
Part of Perth Festival 2026, witness redefined histories through story, scent and song.
Upcoming Events
Mapping our Inner Ocean: A Yin Yoga & Sound Bath Journey
Join us for a unique experience inspired by our current Perth Festival exhibition, ‘A call and response across the ocean’
Slow Making Afternoon with Jacky Cheng
Join artist Jacky Cheng for a gentle, hands-on workshop that invites slow making, conversation, and reflection.
Lunchtime Talk with Vannessa Hearman
Join us for a Lunchtime Talk with Associate Professor Vannessa Hearman: Looking both ways: The Timor Sea and Australia’s entanglements with Asia.
Twilight Hours at JCG
Open until 7pm, visit us for a twilight viewing at JCG
Perth Festival Exhibition Curator Tour
Join Lia McKnight for a guided tour of our Perth Festival exhibition, A call and response across the ocean.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Christopher Pease: Terra Nullius and Reko Rennie: OA_RR
An exhibition including works from Christopher Pease and Reko Rennie.
Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures
Focusing on collective imagination, Radical Futures reveals aspirations for tomorrow.
Find us on Instagram
Join us for yin yoga and an immersive sound bath inside the John Curtin Gallery! 🧘🌊
Step into a restorative experience inspired by A call and response across the ocean, and map your inner ocean, in this unique and peaceful program.
Enjoy gentle yin yoga and an immersive sound bath, this session invites you to slow down and reflect on your journey — past, present, and future.
📅 Wednesday 11 March & Wednesday 22 April 2026
⏰ 5:00pm–6:30pm
📍 John Curtin Gallery
⚠️ Gallery closes at 5pm — please arrive before 5pm for entry.
🎟 $20 Curtin Students | $25 Curtin Staff | $30 General Public
Led by JCG Education Coordinator Mel Macaulay and sound bath practitioner Anita Emor (Emora Suara), the experience creates space to pause, reconnect, and explore personal and shared histories.
🔗 Find out more via the link in bio!
Spots are limited — bookings essential.
Please bring comfortable clothing, a yoga mat, water bottle, blanket, and cushion.
@perthfest @perthartlist @curtinbfagrads @curtinlifeaustralia @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya
Have you taken your Paper Voyage yet? ⛵️
Take a walk through our Access Gallery and let us know which place in the world means the most to you!
In response to our latest exhibition, A call and response across the ocean, this free, self-guided activity invites visitors to take a moment and explore themes of migration and shared histories through hands-on making.
John Curtin Gallery is open today (Sunday) from 12pm to 4pm.
A call and response across the ocean is on show until 3 May, for more information visit the link in our bio!
#johncurtingallery #curtinuniversity #perthart #art #gallery #perthfest
@curtinbfagrads @curtinlifeaustralia
Thank you for the warm welcome! 💛
We`re one week into A call and response across the ocean and still buzzing!
This Perth Festival exhibition brings together stories of cultural exchange, connection, and resilience.
Huge thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us, you made this opening unforgettable. 👏
If you haven`t experienced this exhibition, you`ll want to! Open until May 3.
🔗 Link in bio, open until May 3.
📸 - Marnie Richardson & Sharon Baker.
#PerthFestival #Carrolup #LivingHistory #CommunityArts #CulturalExchange
@perthfest @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music @berndt.museum @curtinbfagrads
A call and response across the ocean 🌊 Histories do not stay silent.
✨ Friday 6 February – Sunday 3 May.
Experience the rhythms, stories and scents of the Indian Ocean, and witness the reunion of friendships and kin ties severed through transglobal acts of colonisation.
Thania Petersen – JAWAP and Dhomala come together to offer a vision of the world where generosity, empathy and cross-cultural collaboration begin to heal the wounds of the past.
Through immersive installations, film, sound and historical works, A call and response across the ocean invites visitors to trace connections across continents and reflect on the enduring legacies of cultural exchange and resilience.
📍 Now open at John Curtin Gallery. Free, open to the public
🔗 Find out more via the link in our bio!
Soundtrack 🎶: Sombalak Sailing Cycle, 2026, stereo single channel sound, produced by Michael Hohnen (@skinnyfish_music)
@perthfest @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music @berndt.museum @curtinbfagrads
#johncurtingallery #curtinuniversity #perthart #art gallery
Exhibition open soon ✨
Here`s what`s been happening behind the scenes at JCG, as we put the final touches on our latest exhibition.
From community art making to intricate curation it`s been all hands on deck bringing this one to life! 🙌
We’re excited to welcome you into A call and response across the ocean, opening Friday 6 Feb.
Huge thanks to the artists, installers and collaborators who made it happen. 💛
🔗 Learn more via the link in our bio.
@perthfest @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music Berndt Museum @berndt.museum @curtinbfagrads
#johncurtingallery #curtinuniversity #perthart #art #gallery #perthfest
Balanca na Balanydja Artist Performance Sunday 8 Feb. 🎶
Balanca na Balanydja (exchange to exchange) brings together Nebbie Burrarwanga, Abdi Karya and Michael Hohnen for a symbolic encounter, embodying a spiritual bond and sense of brotherhood across time and space.
Event details
➡️ Sunday 8 February 2026
➡️ 2:00–3:00pm
📍 John Curtin Gallery
🔗 Register via link in bio!
Following the performance, join the Perth Festival artists as they reflect on long-standing Yolŋu–Makassan relationships through new sound and textile works.
Part of the @perthfest 2026 program. 💛
@abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music @perthartlist
#johncurtingallery #curtinuniversity #perthart #art #gallery #music #performance
Image: Abdi Karya, Hail the Sail (detail), 2026, hand-woven palm fibre, silk, cotton, polyester, and various Bugis hand-woven sarungs from Wajo Regency, South Sulawesi, 280 × 490 cm. Photo by Gaylene Galardi.
Artist Workshop with Abdi Karya (@abdi.karya) Friday 6 February!
A working tool, a social signal and a personal metaphor, the sarung (sarong) is far more than a garment. 🪡
Join South Sulawesi artist Abdi Karya as he shares the cultural history and living presence of the sarung across the Indonesian archipelago.
Event details
➡️ Friday 6 February 2026
➡️ 2:00–3:00pm
📍 John Curtin Gallery
Open to all ages and experience levels, this hands-on workshop explores personal expression and collective storytelling through this versatile cloth. ✨
🔗 Register via link in bio
@life.on.sarung @perthartlist #johncurtingallery #curtinuniversity #perthart #art #gallery #Indonesia #Sarung #perthfest
Join us for the opening of A call and response across the ocean on Thursday 5 February 💛
Histories will not stay silent in this @perthfest exhibition!
Event details:
Thursday 5 February 2026
4:30pm – 6:30pm
Free event, open to the public
🔗 RSVP link in bio!
A call and response across the ocean brings together living histories of the Indian Ocean, reuniting friendships and kin ties that were severed through transglobal acts of colonisation. 🌎
This reconnection offers a vision of the world in which generosity, empathy and cross-cultural collaboration can begin to heal the wounds of the past.
We can’t wait to see you there! ✨
🗓️ Exhibition Open: 6 February – 3 May 2026
#johncurtingallery #curtinuniversity #perthart #art #gallery @berndt.museum
Be part of the art and join JCG in the creation of Rampies Sny! ✨
@thaniapetersen’s community led, large-scale olfactory installation consists of thousands of small organza bags and we need your help to fill them. 🤝
Drop in to John Curtin Gallery during the dates and times below:
➡️ Saturday 31 January, 12pm-4pm
➡️ Sunday 1 February, 12pm-4pm
➡️ Monday 2 February, 11am-4pm
Work with Thania as you cut fresh, oil infused citrus leaves, fill organza bags and fully immerse yourself in this deeply unique and cultural installation.
Everyone is welcome to take part, bags will be hung on Monday 2 February.
🔗 - Register via the link in bio.
@perthfest @perthartlist @perth.art.seeker @curtinlifeaustralia @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinbfagrads
📍 Once Known @ 139 St Georges Terrace!
While JCG is closed for install, Once Known at the Perth Old Boys` school is not. 🙌
Start 2026 off right and discover this incredibly unique collection of art that stands as a testament to the creativity and resilience of the Carrolup children.
⏰ Open 11am - 4pm. Closed Wednesdays and Weekends.
🎟️ Free entry, open to the public.
🔗 Learn more about the story of Carrolup via the link in bio!
Proudly supported by: @bfplperth @lotterywest @inside_bhp @colgateuniversity and #navigators
The Herbert Mayer Collection of Carrolup Artwork was generously donated for educational and research purposes by Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA.
#BridgingNowtoNext #OnceKnown #NAIDOC #OldPerthBoysSchool #exhibition #StolenGeneration #Carrolup #CarrolupCentreForTruthTelling #CarrolupCentre #CarrolupArt #FirstNations #AboriginalArt #Noongar #Nyungar #Indigenous #Aboriginal #Heritage #Identity #Belonging #Colonisation #CurtinUniversity #WesternAustralia #JohnCurtinGallery #ColgateUniversity #alwaywayswas
@perthartlist @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinuniversity
Our 2026 line-up of free exhibitions! 🔥 ➡️
This year we can`t wait to host some amazing exhibitions, featuring works from @thaniapetersen, @chris_pease, @rekorennie and the @waregionalartstriennial.
🗓️ February 6: A call and response across the ocean, part of @perthfest.
🗓️ May 29: Christopher Pease and Reko Rennie.
🗓️ 18 September: Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures.
Watch this space to stay up to date on JCG exhibitions, events and programs! 👀
🔗 - More info via link in bio.
@regionalartswa @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinbfagrads @curtinuniversity @blbcreative @perthartlist @perth.art.seeker @universityartmuseumsaustralia @wesfarmersarts @lotterywest @inside_bhp @colgateuniversity @amesyavuz
#JohnCurtinGallery #PerthArt #2026 #Exhibitions #free #curtin #university #art #visualart #Thaniapeterson #RAT #Chrispease #Rekorennie #OnceKnown
Here’s to 2025😌🙌
Thanks to everyone who visited, collaborated and took part in what made 2025 such a great year for John Curtin Gallery! ✨
From Alice Guiness: Burndud Ground to Bundanon’s Fantastic Forms and everything in between we hope you’ve enjoyed another year of art, inspiration, and connection!
We can’t wait for 2026 🤩💚
@curtinuniversity @curtinalumni @bundanontrust @perthfest @mainguyenlong @curtinbfagrads @jamesptylor @nationalgalleryaus @bfplperth @colgateuniversity
#2025 #johncurtingallery
Locations
John Curtin Gallery Curtin University
Building 200A Curtin University, Kent Street
Bentley, Western Australia 6102
Phone: 08 9266 4155
Open Mon to Fri 10:00 – 5:00pm and Sun 12:00 – 4:00pm
Once Known – A Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling exhibition
Presented at the Old Perth Boys’ School
Curtin 139 St Georges Terrace,
Perth, Western Australia 6000
11:00am – 4:00pm
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (closed Wednesdays and Weekends)
