Yorta Yorta Art from the Goulburn Murray, Shepparton
Kaiela Arts was established in 2006 on Yorta Yorta Country in Shepparton, in the Kaiela Dungala (Goulburn Murray) region of Victoria. Kaiela is the Yorta Yorta name for the Goulburn River, which has shaped the culture and daily life of the Yorta Yorta people for thousands of years. The art centre is one of only two registered Aboriginal art centres in Victoria and represents more than 44 local artists working across painting, weaving, ceramics, carving, and sculpture.
The work produced at Kaiela Arts is grounded in the traditional linear and X-ray styles of South Eastern Aboriginal people — styles that come from Country and carry thousands of years of cultural practice. Artists reference these traditions in contemporary expression, working across acrylic on canvas, weaving, and ceramics. Jack Anselmi, a Yorta Yorta man from Mooroopna, is known for his animal carvings and ceramics, with a recurring motif of the long-neck turtle, the Yorta Yorta totem. In 2016, Anselmi and Aunty Cynthia Hardie won the $20,000 acquisitive prize at the Indigenous Ceramic Art Award for their installation Midden — an immersive work made from raku, porcelain, and clay collected from the banks of the Kaiela River itself.
In November 2021, Kaiela Arts moved into purpose-built gallery and studio space within the new Shepparton Art Museum building, designed by Denton Corker Marshall. The building's polished concrete floors feature inlaid designs in brass and granite by Kaiela Arts artists, and screen-printed fabrics throughout the building carry designs by the centre's artists. The art centre occupies the ground floor alongside the SAM gallery and Greater Shepparton Visitor Centre. Kaiela Arts artists have been commissioned for major institutions including Monash University, RMIT, and several Victorian hospitals, and the centre exhibits annually at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.
Kaiela Arts at a glance
- Location: 530 Wyndham Street, Shepparton VIC 3630 (ground floor, Shepparton Art Museum building).
- Established: 2006.
- Country: Yorta Yorta Nation, Kaiela Dungala (Goulburn Murray) region.
- Art Styles: Traditional linear and X-ray styles of South Eastern Aboriginal people, expressed through acrylic painting, weaving, ceramics, and carving.
- Notable Artists: Jack Anselmi, Aunty Cynthia Hardie, Aunty Laurel Robinson, Aunty Amy Briggs, Eric Brown, Maree Clarke.
- Hours: Monday, Wednesday to Saturday 10am–4pm. Closed Tuesday and Sunday.
- Cultural Workshops: Available for groups of up to 20 by arrangement. Contact the art centre to book.
