Koolark Korl Kadjan (Spiritual Return Home) – An exhibition of Carrolup Artwork

Koolark Korl Kadjan (Spiritual Return Home) – An exhibition of Carrolup Artwork

Gemma Robins

Koorlark Korl Kadjan (Spiritual Return Home)
Great Southern Regional Tour
Katanning Art Gallery
19 September – 10 October 2015

The John Curtin Gallery presents the latest exhibition of the historic collection of Carrolup artworks as part of the Koolark Koort Koorliny (Heart Coming Home) Great Southern Regional Tour. These artworks were created by Aboriginal children of the Stolen Generations at the Carrolup Native Settlement’s School between 1946 and 1950.
The exhibition, Koolark Korl Kadjan (Spiritual Return Home), will be held in Katanning from 19 September until 10 October and aims to bring communities together to share their stories and reflect on the events that have occurred throughout Carrolup’s history. Through the exhibition we can begin to understand the sadness of the past and be inspired to work together to achieve healing and enduring reconciliation. We like to invite you, your friends, family and community to visit this very special exhibition.

Curtin AHEAD, a collaborative and innovative outreach program will be running a series of free career and education activities for individuals and community groups from Monday 21 – Friday 25 September. To find out more and get involved visit curtin.edu.au/ahead

For those unable to travel to Katanning, we would like to encourage you to engage with the amazing works and stories of the Carrolup artists and we can assist by supplying an information package on request.

This extraordinary collection of artworks were created as part of an inspired teaching program devised by Carrolup School Headmaster, Mr Noel White, to alleviate the suffering of Aboriginal children, forcibly removed from their parents and incarcerated at The Carrolup Native Settlement in accordance with the Government’s policy of assimilation in the late 1940s. Noel White would take groups of children, aged between 7 and 14, into bushland around the settlement on bushwalks they called ‘rambles’. Returning to the classroom he encouraged the children to simply draw what they saw and although the children had no formal training in art as such, they soon developed striking and distinctive styles that within a few years were receiving universal positive critical acclaim.
For more information visit www.johncurtingallery.curtin.edu.au/carrolup/or to contact gallery@curtin.edu.au.