Trace: BERNARD SINGLETON & JOSEPH WILLIAMS JUNGURAYI 5th - 9th August

"When we heal Country, we heal the people, and when we heal the people, we heal the land." —

This exhibition brings together the work of Bernard Singleton and Joseph Williams Jungurayi—artists from different Countries whose practices are grounded in the understanding that culture is sustained through making, remembering and sharing. Across carved objects, paintings, works on paper and photography, each artist speaks to the enduring relationship between people, Country and ancestral knowledge.

At the heart of this exhibition is an acknowledgement of the life and creative legacy of Simone Arnol, whose collaborative photographic works are presented alongside Bernard Singleton's carved objects. A proud Gunggandji woman, Simone was an acclaimed multidisciplinary artist, designer, curator and cultural leader whose practice was grounded in a deep commitment to Country, community and the knowledge held by Elders. Working across photography, textiles, painting and fashion, she often incorporated sustainable materials and natural processes, guided by her philosophy of "keeping it grassroots while respecting the Elders, the keepers of Knowledge." Beyond her own artistic practice, Simone played a pivotal role in shaping the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair's fashion program alongside Bernard, while simultaneously leading the Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct and Menmuny Museum. Even following her cancer diagnosis in 2020, Simone continued to create, mentor and inspire, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to resonate through her work and the communities she championed.

For Bernard, carving is a conversation with those who came before. Working with wood, stone, water and fire, he follows processes that have been handed down through generations, allowing the physical act of making to reconnect him with Country and his ancestors. Joseph's practice similarly begins with carving—a discipline learnt from his grandfathers and one that continues to shape the way he understands form, story and cultural continuity. While this exhibition focuses on his paintings and works on paper, that sculptural sensibility remains ever present. His striking ancestral portraits possess the same quiet strength as his carved objects, honouring family histories while reminding us that culture is carried not only through objects, but through the faces, stories and lives of those who continue it.

Seen together, Bernard's carved forms, the collaborative photographs created with Simone, and Joseph's painted ancestors create a conversation across materials, generations and Countries. They ask us to consider the many ways memory can be held: in timber shaped by hand, in the image of a loved one, in a painted face, or in the knowledge passed between Elders and younger generations. Together, these works remind us that culture is not preserved in the past, but continually renewed through acts of making, care and remembrance.