Kumarangk
Kumarangk: Exhibition is an intergeneration love letter for Ngarrindjeri women, an exhibition that explores the survival of culture and the resistance to the destructive forces of the colony.
Kumarangk is an honouring of the resistance work of the Ngarrindjeri women protesters, who organised and acted against the building of the bridge from Goolwa to Hindmarsh Island. Over 10 years the women faced an onslaught of attacks from within the media and politics for speaking truth on culture and Country. This exhibition demonstrates the ongoing love, fight and cultural inheritance within Ngarrindjeri women’s circles.
Our thirteen artists include Aunty Sandra Saunders, Aunty Betty Sumner, Sonya Rankine, Carly Tarkari Dodd, Tiarnie Edwards, along with the Mardawi Collective made up of Aunty Ellen Trevorrow, Temeika Campbell, Zemiah Campbell, Debra Rankine, Elizabeth Rankine, Bessie Rigney, Stephanie Russell and Margi Sumner. Through artwork, our 13 artists embody the ongoing continued connection and responsibility, creating stories that are interconnected through familiar ties and multiple art disciplines including Ngarrindjeri weaving, large soft sculpture, painting, text-based work, installation and ceramics. Featuring a mix of traditional and contemporary art mediums, Kumarangk showcases existing alongside ambitious new works by multiple generations of Ngarrindjeri women artists.
Co-Curated by Dominic Guerrera (Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna) and Danni Zuvela, the exhibition showcases art works from an incredible line up of Ngarrindjeri women artist, providing platform for them to speak and be heard. Experience the love and passion for culture, community and Country.
Temeika Campbell is a Ngarrindjeri Woman and creative facilitator who supports arts-led community projects grounded in culture and storytelling. Her work centres on strengthening Aboriginal art practice through cultural integrity, collaboration, and sustainable creative pathways.
Zemiah Campbell is a young Ngarrindjeri emerging creative with a growing interest in cultural arts and self-expression. She represents the next generation of artists learning through culture, creativity, and community connection
Carly Tarkari Dodd is an artist and curator of Kaurna, Narungga, and Ngarrindjeri descent, known for creating contemporary woven jewellery and sculptures. She was taught traditional weaving by Ngarrindjeri Elder Aunty Ellen Trevorrow at a young age. Dodd’s work explores First Nations activism, cultural resilience, and highlights the contrast of Indigenous experiences with forms of colonial power. Her work has gained noteworthy recognition, with recent features at Australian Fashion Week on the David Jones Indigenous Fashion Projects Runway and in Vogue Australia magazine. In 2018, Dodd was honoured as South Australia’s NAIDOC Young Person of the Year. In 2023, she was a finalist for the inaugural MAKE Award: Biennial Prize for Innovation in Australian Craft and Design, and in 2024, her impact continues to grow, with a nomination for two National Indigenous Fashion Awards. Carly’s works are held in both public and private collections across Australia, and she has exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria (VIC), Australian Design Centre (NSW), JamFactory (SA), and Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany.
Tiarnie Edwards is a Ngarrindjeri artist born in Kaurna Yarta in 1998. Raised on Nauo Country in the Lower Eyre Peninsula they grew up in the small sea side community of Tulka. By the end of 2020 they moved back to Kaurna Country to study a Bachelor of Contemporary Art at the University of South Australia, graduating in 2023, and going on to participate in the 2024 Helpmann Graduate Exhibition as well as the Hatched 2024 Graduate Exhibition at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. Tiarnie started working with ceramics in 2022for the first time whilst studying at University and ceramics has become a core focus of their artwork. Their practice focuses on themes of identity, culture, history, politics, and activism and the intersectional way these fields overlap within complex and diverse identities within contemporary Australian life, particularly Aboriginal Identities. Tiarnie utilizes the universal language of visual knowledge to connect audiences to their narrative works, using humour and history to tell the stories of community and individuals. Their contemporary artworks explore the preservation of history and identities through storytelling.
Debra Rankine is a Ngarrindjeri cultural artist and community arts facilitator who supports creative practice through strong cultural foundations. Her work focuses on nurturing participation, wellbeing, and cultural expression through art with youth.
Elizabeth Rankine is a Ngarrindjeri Woman, weaver, and cultural artist with deep knowledge of traditional practices and cultural design. She is a respected mentor who leads the continuation of Ngarrindjeri weaving and artistic knowledge across generations.
Sonya Rankine is a multidisciplinary artist and the founder of Lakun Mara, grounded in the cultural strength of her Ngarrindjeri, Ngadjuri, Narungga and Wirangu heritage. Her practice is anchored in the traditional weaving techniques of her Ancestors and driven by a commitment to cultural maintenance, survival and revival. Sonya’s work spans large-scale installations, contemporary weaving, jewellery design and cross-disciplinary collaborations that honour cultural knowledge, Country and community. As a singer and songwriter, Sonya is committed to First Nations language revival and maintenance, particularly Ngarrindjeri, Narungga and Ngadjuri. She actively incorporates language into her music, storytelling and community engagement, strengthening identity and supporting intergenerational learning. This commitment to language is woven through her artistic, cultural and educational work. An award-winning artist, Sonya has been commissioned by major galleries, festivals, government agencies and community organisations. She is also a cultural educator, mentor and facilitator, creating learning spaces that foster connection, healing and cultural pride. Through Lakun Mara, Sonya continues to expand her practice while remaining deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge, ensuring weaving, language and song remain strong and continue to thrive for future generations.
Bessie Rigney is a highly respected Ngarrindjeri Woman and cultural knowledge holder whose influence is deeply embedded in Ngarrindjeri arts practice. She provides guidance, wisdom, and cultural authority to ensure traditional art forms are respected and protected.
Stephanie Russell is a cultural arts worker supporting Aboriginal artists through creative development and arts enterprise pathways. Her work bridges cultural practice and professional opportunities within the creative industries.
Aunty Sandra Saunders is a Ngarrindjeri and Boandik artist living and working in Wangary on the Eyre Peninsula. Saunders has a background in community organising and activism for Aboriginal rights and was a vocal leader of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge protests. Working primarily in the medium of painting, Saunders’ work is politically engaged, commenting on themes of colonialism, climate change, land rights and social justice. Saunders has an extensive exhibiting history which began through her participation in the Our Mob exhibitions at the Adelaide Festival Centre. Her recent exhibition history includes the group shows Drifting Sands at Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery as part of the 2021 Tarnanthi Festival and Country Arts SA’s VIETNAM: ONE IN, ALL IN at Tandanya (2019), as well as her 2017 solo exhibition They Came Like a Tsunami at ACE Gallery. In 2019 Saunders was awarded a Guildhouse Catapult mentorship to work with Dr Jess Wallace which resulted in a presentation outcome at the Art Gallery of South Australia. In 2022 she was one of four First Nations artists selected by the National Gallery of Australia to design a custom pair of sneakers for the ‘walk in their shoes’ initiative offered in collaboration with Volley.
Margi Sumner is a Ngarrindjeri cultural practitioner working across community arts, workshops, and collaborative creative projects. She supports cultural expression through inclusive, culturally safe art spaces.
Betty Sumner is a respected Ngarrindjeri artist, performer, and storyteller from Raukkan, a proud Ngarrindjeri Mimini from Raukkan. Betty has worked extensively across multiple disciplines, including theatre, film, stage design, opera, painting, sculpture, cultural weaving, silk screening and storytelling. After studying Anthropology at the University of Adelaide, Betty developed an artistic voice that blends traditional Ngarrindjeri knowledge with contemporary creative forms, exploring identity, community, Country, and the continuity of cultural memory. Her visual artwork includes silk-screening, acrylic painting, weaving, and three-dimensional sculptural forms, all characterised by strong symbolism and narratives grounded in Ngarrindjeri cosmology. In 2016 she was commissioned to create The All-Seeing Eye for the South Coast Aquatic Centre in Hayborough, a work that combines weaving techniques with abstract design to reflect on community, observation, and the interconnectedness of people and place. Betty’s work centres her cultural strengths, and intergenerational knowledge and is a keen mentor and teacher for younger Aboriginal artists. Living and working in Raukkan, she continues to share Ngarrindjeri culture through her art, community engagement, and silk screening teaching.
Aunty Ellen Trevorrow is a highly respected Ngarrindjeri Elder, master weaver, cultural educator and internationally recognised artist from South Australia. Raised on Ngarrindjeri Country, she learned traditional weaving from her Elders and has played a pivotal role in revitalising Ngarrindjeri weaving practices, ensuring their continuation through teaching, mentorship and artistic innovation. Trevorrow’s practice spans traditional forms such as sister baskets, mats and fish traps, alongside contemporary sculptural works, wearable art, textiles and large-scale installations. Her work is deeply grounded in Ngarrindjeri cultural knowledge, storytelling and connections to land, waters and community. Her art has been exhibited widely across Australia and internationally, including major exhibitions at JamFactory, where she was celebrated in the prestigious ICON series with a significant solo exhibition highlighting the evolution and contemporary strength of her weaving practice. Her work is held in prominent public and private collections, including major state and national galleries. Together with her late husband Uncle Tom Trevorrow, she established Camp Coorong, a leading centre for cultural education, where she has taught thousands of people over several decades. Through both her art and leadership, Aunty Ellen Trevorrow continues to inspire cultural resilience, intergenerational learning and cross-cultural understanding.
- Previously AtSignal Point Experience Centre (SA)27th February - 11th April 2026
- Future LocationsThe Riddoch Arts & Cultural Centre (SA)29th August - 8th November 2026
- Future Locations: Fabrik Arts + Heritage (SA)24th September - 14th November 2027
- Future Locations: Murray Bridge Regional Gallery (SA)27th May - 30th July 2028
Map showing NETS exhibition tour locations across Australia. A text list of the locations follows.
- Signal Point Experience Centre (SA)
- The Riddoch Arts & Cultural Centre (SA)
- Fabrik Arts + Heritage (SA)
- Murray Bridge Regional Gallery (SA)