‘barangga: First Nations Design’ brings together new and recent works by Debra Beale, Sharyn Egan, Nicole Monks, Luke Russell, and Leanne Tobin, alongside a collaborative project from Elvie Dann, Margaret Whitehurst, Barbara Merritt, Jenine Boeree, Charmaine Papertalk Green, Donna Ronan, Nicole Monks, Yarra Monks, Michelle Sims, and Chloe Sims.

The exhibition and companion program of workshops celebrates design and making practices as a vital form of cultural knowledge in First Nations Communities across Australia. The exhibition unites designers with an ongoing commitment to revitalising cultural practices and preserving material culture, and highlights the importance of Community consultation and intergenerational knowledge exchange.

The project’s title is drawn from the Dharawal word ‘barangga’ meaning ‘large vessel’ or ‘island’. It speaks to the significance of design and making in First Nations practices, while embodying the notion of holding space for Community. The exhibition encompasses a range of fields from fashion, jewellery, textiles, and sculpture to glassmaking, woodworking, tool-making, and video. Together the works explore connections with Country, and demonstrate a breadth of innovative approaches to environmentally sustainable design.