Opening on the eve of NAIDOC Week's 50th anniversary, HOTA, Home of the Arts has unveiled the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain - a National Gallery Touring Exhibition.
The Gold Coast is the first stop on the exhibition’s national tour outside the National Gallery of Australia in Kamberri/Canberra.
For the first time, two levels of the HOTA Gallery have been transformed by 10 powerful installations exploring the stories, resilience and intergenerational cultural legacies of First Nations peoples.
The exhibition is free to attend and will run for three months from Saturday 4 July – Sunday 27 September.
Acclaimed Girramay/Yidinji/Kuku-Yalanji artist Tony Albert is the Artistic Director behind the free exhibition which explores themes of renewal and cultural continuity through newly commissioned works by leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Tony Albert brings a distinctive creative vision shaped by his own practice and deep engagement with contemporary First Nations art, creating an exhibition that is conceptually rigorous and deeply resonant.
Tony Albert said he is thrilled for After the Rain to embark on its tour across Australia.
“After the Rain positions the creative brilliance of First Nations artists at the centre of national conversation, offering a restorative and forward-looking exploration of Country and culture. After the rain, the land is cleansed, seeds begin to sprout, and new life emerges. I am excited to welcome visitors to the HOTA to celebrate the strength and beauty of what is flourishing.”
The 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial is one of Australia’s most significant contemporary art projects, developed by the National Gallery of Australia to platform First Nations voices and practices on a national stage.
The exhibition will feature works from Queensland artists Alair Pambegan, Blaklash, Dylan Mooney and Warraba Weatherall, alongside projects from interstate artists Aretha Brown, The Hermannsburg Potters, Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre and Vincent Namatjira, Jimmy John Thaiday, Naminapu Maymuru-White, Thea Anamara Perkins, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Grace Kemarre Robinya.
Dr Nick Mitzevich, Director National Gallery said the Gallery is proud to be sharing After the Rain with audiences around the country over the next three years with the support the Australian Government through Visions of Australia, and National Gallery’s First Nations Arts Partner, Wesfarmers Arts.
“The National Indigenous Art Triennial sits at the heart of the National Gallery’s commitment to championing First Nations art and cultures. Under the thoughtful artistic direction of Tony Albert, After the Rain has brought together an extraordinary group of artists to present ten powerful projects and we are excited to share these important works with the Gold Coast community.”
This fifth edition continues that legacy, foregrounding artists whose work engages with identity, Country, history and the lived realities of First Nations communities today.
HOTA Gallery General Manager David Don said hosting the exhibition represents a landmark moment for the Gold Coast.
“To welcome the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial to the Gold Coast during NAIDOC Week's 50th anniversary is incredibly meaningful,” he said.
“As the first stop on the exhibition's national tour outside Canberra, After the Rain gives audiences the opportunity to engage with powerful First Nations stories at a time when those voices continue to shape Australia's cultural conversation.”
The presentation at HOTA reinforces the Gold Coast’s growing reputation as a destination for major national and international exhibitions, while providing audiences with access to one of the country’s most important showcases of First Nations art.
5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain
4 July – 27 September 2026
Gallery 2 & 3
Free, Daily 10am – 4pm
For more information visit: https://hota.com.au/whats-on/live/exhibitions/5th-national-indigenous-art-triennial-after-the-rain
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain is a National Gallery Touring Exhibition supported by the Australian Government through Visions of Australia, and National Gallery First Nations Arts Partner Wesfarmers Arts.
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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.