HOTA, Home of the Arts will open its next Children’s Gallery exhibition this weekend with a vibrant, immersive project by acclaimed First Nations artist and designer Lisa Sorbie Martin, inviting families to gather, explore and connect through art, culture and storytelling.
Aka Sorbie: Saltwater Heart draws on the central themes of Sorbie Martin’s art practice - culture, family and the ocean. These are brought to life through bold colour and intricate patterns, connecting our saltwater lifestyle here on the Gold Coast to Lisa’s island home in the Torres Strait.
Designed specifically for young audiences and their families, the exhibition offers engaging and sensory hands-on experiences that encourage curiosity and learning. Visitors can immerse themselves in an underworld ocean of coral and fish, play cubby house in the island hut with Lisa’s fabrics, explore patterns in nature, and make art at Aka Sorbie’s table.
"I am honoured to work with the HOTA Gallery to showcase my art in the Children’s Gallery, offering families and children a chance to experience and learn about my culture," said Lisa Sorbie Martin.
"It is truly humbling. I hope that everyone who visits leaves with something meaningful to share with others—even if it's simply discovering where my people live on the beautiful islands of the Torres Strait."
Sorbie Martin, who is known to her family as Aka (grandmother), invites children and families to immerse themselves in a space where art is lived and experienced.
“This exhibition reflects HOTA’s ongoing commitment to the next generation of art lovers by presenting high-quality, artist-led experiences that spark imagination and present cultural storytelling as one of the pillars of the Gallery’s strategic plan.” said Experience Gold Coast Head of Arts and Culture, Yarmila Alfonzetti.
Lisa Sorbie Martin acknowledges her German heritage from her father, and her Torres Strait Islander ancestry from her mother’s Mer Island and Moa Island bloodlines. Her traditional name, Sorbie, was given to her by her grandmother and comes from the wild water cherry fruit grown on the islands of the Torres Strait.
Based on the Gold Coast for more than 40 years, Sorbie Martin has worked across visual art, textile design, wearable art, ceramics and public art since 1997.
As a cultural educator and creative innovator, she is widely recognised for fostering community connection through storytelling and artmaking, linking Indigenous and non-Indigenous narratives and drawing inspiration from the natural environment.
Aka Sorbie: Saltwater Heart
7 March – 16 August 2026
Children’s Gallery, HOTA, 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise
Free daily, 10am – 4pm
For more information, visit: Aka Sorbie: Saltwater Heart - HOTA
CONTACTS
Danielle Ford | 0487 002 022 | danielle.ford@experiencegoldcoast.com
Link to download images HERE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Experience Gold Coast acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region.
We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and recognise their continuing connections to the lands, waters and their extended communities throughout Southeast Queensland.