The Stars We Do Not See

The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art is organized by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and the National Gallery of Art, Washington in association with the Denver Art Museum, the Portland Art Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum, and will be on display at the above venues across the United States and Canada.

The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art is the largest exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever presented internationally. Through a rich display of iconic masterpieces, curated especially for North American audiences, the exhibition charts watershed moments in Indigenous art, revealing a rich history of creativity that pre-dates the arrival of Europeans.

Featuring the undisputed masterpieces from the NGV Collection, the exhibition features over 200 works by more than 130 artists, including many that have never-before left the country. The Stars We Do Not See introduces audiences to customary forms and styles, such as the conceptual map paintings of the Central and Western deserts (sometimes colloquially referred to as ‘dot paintings’), ochre bark paintings, cultural objects and ambitious experimental weavings. The exhibition also explores the work of new media artists who simultaneously challenge and build upon tradition with groundbreaking works in neon, video, sound, photography and much more.

Highlighting the diverse and distinct visual iconographies of Indigenous Australia – which is made up of more than 250 distinct Indigenous nations – the works span the entire Australian continent, including the Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land, Far North Queensland, the Torres Strait, the Central Desert, the Kimberley and beyond.

Following its global premiere on 18 October 2025 at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, The Stars We Do Not See will tour to venues in North America, including Denver Art Museum, Colorado; Portland Art Museum, Oregon; Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts; and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.