Opening this Friday at China Heights, Echoes Tracing Northward begins far from the white walls of its Surry Hills gallery.
It begins on Country – in the red dust of the Top End where stories are carried carefully from one generation to the next. It begins with artists working not just as makers, but as custodians – tracing songlines and narratives that have travelled across land and time long before they were ever framed.
Curated by Miah Madden, this powerful group exhibition gathers a chorus of emerging Indigenous artists from across the Northern Territory. Drawing on works from leading art centres including Iwantja Arts, Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Ngukurr Art Centre, Papunya Tula Artists, Warakurna Artists and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, the exhibition spans ceramic and wooden sculpture, ochre used across both canvas and bark, acrylic-washed linens and hand-painted skulls.
Before the exhibition's opening night this Friday, we spoke with curator, Madden, about honing her curatorial eye, favourite galleries, and which piece from the upcoming show she thinks we should linger on a little longer.
1. People might know you first and foremost as an actor, but what drew you to art curation as a practice?
Growing up with so many great creatives in my family I have always been surrounded by Indigenous art. My Grandfather Charles Madden, better known in the Redfern community as Uncle Chicka, is a talented painter and ceramist. I grew up watching him hone his craft, gifting all of his grandchildren personalised ceramic pots with our favourite native animals on the front, and then later being commissioned to make pots for notable politicians and members of the royal family.
Art is an incredible medium in Indigenous communities to immortalise our songlines, ancestral practices, and stories. It is this sentiment that drew me to curating. As an actor, I love reading a script and being given the task of bringing the character and story to life. I feel curating satisfies me in the same way, being a vessel to bring to life a story through featuring art which represents completely diverse stories, practices, and lineages. It is an honour to be given this task, and I feel very deeply connected to each artwork I am trusted to feature in an exhibition.
"Art is an incredible medium in Indigenous communities to immortalise our songlines, ancestral practices, and stories. It is this sentiment that drew me to curating."
2. What do you think is crucial to honing a good curatorial eye?
It sounds quite obvious but I’ve found that trusting your instincts in what speaks to you is a feeling you can’t ignore. When selecting art for an exhibition, sometimes you find yourself looking through hundreds of great works and think question how on earth you are going to confidently select the ‘right’ picks. Selecting artworks that speak to you in any way is important and usually within that pool of works you will find a theme, a pattern, or a path to go down. Learning the stories behind each artwork and the biography of their respective art will further help this process and allow for a deeper understanding of what you wish to present and how you will be able to do so meaningfully.
3. Do you have any favourite galleries to visit around the world?
China Heights is an obvious one for me. I’ve been a fan of Ed and Nina for years and I’m still pinching myself that I get to curate for their gallery. The way they champion mob is not lost on our community, they feel like family at this point. I also love visiting the Gallery of Central Australia when I’m out that way, most of the art in my home was bought from their gallery and it was a truly special experience to buy art from central desert communities on their country. Internationally, I’d say it was pretty surreal to visit the Musée d'Orsay in Paris when I visited, seeing such iconic artworks in the real life brings such an undeniable energy that really transcends time. I could’ve wondered through that gallery all day long (I’m pretty sure I did in fact).
4. Tell us a little bit about this group exhibition Echoes Tracing Northward at China Heights that you’ve curated. What can visitors expect?
Echoes Tracing Northward is a celebration of Indigenous excellence through the incredible works of predominantly emerging artists from art centres across the Northern Territory including; Iwantja Arts, Jilamara Arts and Crafts, Ngukurr Arts, Papaya Tula Artists (courtesy of Utopia Art Sydney), Warakurna Artists, and Yarrenyty Arltere.
The exhibition features work across an array of mediums; ceramics, sculptural works, traditional and contemporary paintings and bark paintings, all of which reflect the cultural and ancestral practices pertaining to each artist. I want viewers to really tap into the energy each piece holds, the stories behind these works are sacred and together they are a beautiful representation of the Northern Territory, they act as echoes which trace from the central desert to the top of end of the country. Seeing all of these works in one space has been a privilege to curate, it has been an honour to work with these art centres who have trusted me to feature the works of their artists and I’m excited for viewers to experience the accumulation of works which represent the incredible talent and resilience of Indigenous art.
"I want viewers to really tap into the energy each piece holds, the stories behind these works are sacred and together they are a beautiful representation of the Northern Territory, they act as echoes which trace from the central desert to the top of end of the country."
5. How did you select the artists involved?
I feel privileged to have great relationships with the art centres that I’ve worked with to curate this show. As an emerging curator, I thought it would be a great idea to use my opportunity to exhibit at China Heights to feature mainly emerging artists. China Heights represent some of the most leading and established names in the industry and I felt strongly about ensuring I used this platform to exhibit artists whose work needs to be seen by their audience.
I love a cold call, so having yarn with the managers of each art centre to determine whose work best suits the show was a completely collaborative process, learning about art artist and where they come from was imperative information. As a curator it is my responsibility to really connect with the story of each artist and understand their journey in how they developed their process and how it is reflected in their work. Echoes Tracing Northward features 16 incredible First Nations artists including; Alison Nungurrayi, Kathleen Nampitjinpa, Melissa Nungurrayi, Rosalyn Napagati, Elaine Lane, Sallyanne Roberts, Rosalind Tjanyari, Luke Djalgarrarra, Mickey Wilson Fogarty, Patrick Freddy Puruntatameri Jarman, Daniel Stassi, Neil Black, Jacinta Lorenzo, Michelle Bush, Beth Ebatarinja, and Rhonda Sharpe.
6. Which piece in the show should we linger a little longer on when we visit?
Luke Djalgarrarra’s painted buffalo and horse skulls will be presented as a collection on a feature wall, these works are so strong, I never seen something quite like them. Luke is based in the Ngukurr community on Arnhem Land and is an incredible sculptor, combining traditional techniques taught by his father with bright contemporary colours painted on hand-carved sculptures and skulls. The skull collection featured in Echoes Tracing Northward was made specifically for our show and I feel that viewers should take a moment to really absorb their presence.
7. In three words, can you describe the energy of the show?
Compelling, grounded, and sacred.
8. And crucially, where’s the best local spot for a post-show drink or bite to eat?
Hollywood Hotel is iconic one, it’s a bustling pub on the corner of Foster and Hunt street and is always a great post-show vibe. As for food, my personal favourite is walking up to crown street and visiting Silom Thai for the best Thai Green Curry you’ll ever have.
Echoes Tracing Northward opens this Friday 20 February at China Heights in Sydney and continues until 14 March 2026.
This exhibition acknowledges the artists as cultural custodians, presenting their works as continuations of living traditions that remain grounded in each artist’s connection to country, lore and ancestral lineage. Presenting an array of works across painting on canvas and bark, carvings, and sculptural works, together they highlight the journey of each piece which forms echoes that can be traced through time and place, ultimately sustaining cultural knowledge and ancient practices through artistic expression.
