From South Coast kinships to dust-swept prairies, this season’s art exhibitions are as diverse as the landscapes they echo.
Across the country, galleries explore the intimate, the monumental, and the eternal – each show a reflection of the times and tides that shape us. From the resilience of Indigenous urban narratives in Sydney to the vivid brushstrokes of Japanese landscapes in Adelaide, the offerings are rich and compelling.
Step backstage with Drew Hedditch’s 35mm lens or dive into the Antarctic visions at TMAG. Whether it’s Ben Quilty’s two-decade journey in Brisbane or Sandra Black’s intricate ceramics in Perth, these exhibitions promise to captivate, provoke, and inspire. Ready to bring a piece of this creative energy home? The RUSSH team share the art exhibitions happening across Australia this November 2024.
NSW
COMA Gallery
To Dust you Shall Return – until 14 December 2024
This group exhibition examines man's underestimation of nature, taking inspiration from the dust storms that damaged the American and Canadian prairies in the 1930s, and biblical references to retribution and ritual.
Rofe Street Gallery
On Show – until 24 November 2024
Australian Ballet dancer Drew Hedditch offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain, showcasing an intimate collection of backstage photographs captured entirely on 35mm film.
Bundanon
bagan bariwariganyan: echoes of country – until 9 February 2025
An exhibition of new works created by Walbunja/Ngarigo artist Aunty Cheryl Davison, Gweagal/Wandiwandian artist Aunty Julie Freeman, and Wiradyuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones celebrating South Coast stories and upholding local Aboriginal values and kinships.
National Art School
2024 Postgrad Show – until 17 November 2024
An exhibition of works by the school's Master of Fine Art (MFA) and Graduate Diploma of Fine Art (GDFA) graduate students.
Ames Yavuz
Urban Rite – until 9 November 2024
Interdisciplinary artist Reko Rennie presents a new series of figurative paintings that mark a dynamic new direction for the artist. The works portray faceless figures that represent a defiant reimagining of the urban landscape as a space of Indigenous resilience, progress, and success.
VIC
The University of Melbourne
Tony Clark: Unsculpted – until 1 June 2025
A multifaceted overview of more than four decades of work from Tony Clark, exploring the capacity of painting to test the boundaries between genres and disciplines.
NGV Australia
Cats & Dogs – until 20 July 2025
From cattle dogs to lap dogs, divine felines to the black cats of superstition, this new exhibition explores humanity’s deep connection to cats and dogs through more than 250 works of art and design.
Void_Melbourne
The Warriors and The Missing – until 23 November 2024
Suzie Idiens' monochrome forms appear to float, their polished surfaces reflecting surroundings and inviting a visceral connection between object and observer.
TarraWarra Museum of Art
Intimate Imaginaries – from 30 November 2024 to 10 March 2025
Celebrating 50 years of Arts Project Australia (APA), this exhibition showcases the work of 13 artists with intellectual disabilities who have emerged from APA's studio over five decades. It highlights diverse practices across painting, drawing, ceramics, soft sculpture, and video, reflecting APA's mission of fostering inclusion in contemporary art.
QLD
Queensland Art Gallery
Birds of Passage – until 26 Jan 2026
This display illustrates the influence of travel and cross-cultural experience on their respective works. Fairweather had a deep knowledge of Chinese art, while Jacoulet was committed to the craft of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and these qualities allowed both artists to act as a bridge between cultures.
Edwina Corlette
Deep Water Part 1 – 27 November until 14 December 2024
Exhibition description not yet available.
Jan Murphy Gallery
Ben Quilty 20 Years – 19 November – 7 December 2024
This unique collection of artworks spans two decades of Ben Quilty’s practice and commemorates his 20th year with Jan Murphy Gallery. This period is witness to defining moments in the artist’s career, presenting works that carry profound personal significance. T
SA
Art Gallery of South Australia
Misty Mountain, Shining Moon: Japanese landscape envisioned – ongoing
From the austerity of brush and ink painting to vivid woodblock prints, Misty Mountain, Shining Moon expresses the beauty of the Japanese landscape as represented by some of the world’s most celebrated artists.
APY Gallery
Minyma Mamu Tjuta + Tjala Queens – this month
APY Gallery Adelaide presents Minyma Mamu Tjuta, a solo exhibition of works by Naomi Kantjuriny, the winner of the 2024 Sulman Prize, alongside a stunning group exhibition, Tjala Queens. Featuring works by Maureen Douglas, Tjimpayi Presley, Barbara Moore, Muna Kulyuru, Joylene Presley, Tanya Brady, Angela Burton and Tanya Burton, Tjala Queens highlights the vibrant and powerful art being produced by women artists at Tjala Arts.
TAS
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Artists to Ice – 9 February 2025
Works by Australian artists Stephen Eastaugh, Bea Maddock, Jan Senbergs, and Jörg Schmeisser, are presented in this exhibtion, each of whom travelled to Antarctica between 1987 and 2009.
NT
Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory
Gumurr’manydji Manapanmirr Djäma (Making successful business together) – on now
A photographic exhibition from the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA) celebrating 50 years of Yolŋu economic independence, enterprise, self-determination, culture and ingenuity.
Laundry Gallery
awalamirr Warrakan (Any kind of bird)
The exhibition features 37 intricately hand-painted bird carvings by Yolŋu artists Judy Manany Gurruwiwi and Megan Yunupingu from Elcho Island Arts, celebrating the connection between the natural world and Yolŋu culture. Each piece, crafted from Milkwood or Cottonwood and adorned with ochre paints, reflects the artists’ deep ties to their homeland, with Megan describing the process as both calming and rooted in tradition, making this a truly special showcase of Arnhem Land’s avian beauty.
WA
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Sandra Black: Holding light – until 16 February 2025
Spanning over 50 years, Sandra Black: Holding Light celebrates the artist’s dedication to design, craftsmanship, and the natural world through 123 works drawn from major collections and private loans. From her signature carved and pierced clay vessels to more diverse ceramic series, the exhibition reveals how Black’s experiences and artistry converge to create intimate, treasure-like pieces that resonate with universal themes.
Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts
L’ombre de ton ombre (The shadow of your shadow) – until 22 December 2024
Paul Knight’s first solo exhibition in WA weaves photography, textiles, and machine learning to explore the intimacy of his relationship with his partner as a measure of time. Anchored by Chamber Music, a photographic series documenting their life since 2009, and complemented by hand-loomed textiles and chatbot-generated reflections on love, the exhibition traverses personal connection, deep geological time, and humanity’s fleeting place within it.
ACT
National Gallery of Australia
Ouroboros – permanent
Lindy Lee's monumental 13-tonne sculpture inspired by the ancient symbol of eternal cycles, has been unveiled, situated in a reflective pond within the National Sculpture Garden. This immersive work invites visitors to step inside its mirrored form by day and marvel at its glowing, perforated steel surface by night, marking a transformative addition to the national collection.
