Collection: The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art

Denver Art Museum

April 19, 2026 - July 26, 2026

The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art is the largest exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever presented internationally. This landmark exhibition is the product of an unprecedented cultural partnership between the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Denver Art Museum will be its second venue.

Curated by the NGV especially for North American audiences, the exhibition features more than 130 works by 142 artists, several of whom worked collaboratively, drawn exclusively from the NGV's world-leading collection. These works are designed to elicit a sense of awe, while introducing visitors to the art, resilience, and depth of the world’s longest continuous cultures. Through a rich display of iconic masterpieces—many of which have never before left Australia—The Stars We Do Not See charts watershed moments in Indigenous art from the late 19th century to the present.

The exhibition introduces audiences to customary forms and styles in Indigenous Australian art, including the conceptual map paintings of the Central and Western Deserts, ochre bark paintings, and experimental weavings. It also highlights the work of new-media artists, who build on tradition with groundbreaking works in neon, video, and photography.

A portion from sales of products featuring Australian Indigenous works is paid back to the artists or their estates through Aboriginal Artists Agency LTD.