- Featured artists
Vernon Ah Kee, Gordon Hookey, Lloyd Gawura Hornsby, Jenna Lee, Damien Shen, Christian Thompson, Jason Wing, Zhou Xiaoping
- Exhibition opening and panel conversation
Thursday 29 May, 6–7.30pm, Free
Learn more
Our Story: Aboriginal–Chinese People in Australia sheds light on the little-known history of Aboriginal and Chinese relations in colonial Australia.
The exhibition explores themes of identity, survival, resilience and cultural connection, tracing these enduring legacies from the gold rush era to today.
Curated by artist and researcher Zhou Xiaoping, this project draws on historical records and oral histories to bring these untold stories into the collective consciousness of all Australians.
Exhibition highlights
Unwritten (108 Portrait #15) by Vernon Ah Kee
House of Gold by Christian Thompson
Chinese Cabbage Leaves by Zhou Xiaoping
To light up: stories by Jenna Lee
Coming to Australia by Lloyd Gawura Hornsby
Serpent People (Boy with Snake Belly) by Jason Wing
Yut, Yee, Sahm by Damien Shen
Dragonserpent by Gordon Hookey
An 8-year-old Michael Laing stands between his Aboriginal grandfather Gordon Charles Naley about 1916, and his Chinese grandfather Leung Kee about 1930s
Chinariginal by Zhou Xiaoping
Vernon Ah Kee is a descendant of the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidinji and Gugu Yimithirr peoples with Chinese ancestry. A political activist and founding member of the art collective Proppa NOW, Ah Kee's work explores race, identity and colonial legacies.
Gordon Hookey is a Waanyi man with Chinese and Javanese ancestry. Hookey’s work sits at the intersection of cultures, shedding light on historical and contemporary issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Lloyd Gawura Hornsby is a descendant of the Yuin people with Chinese and French ancestry. Hornsby combines the traditional dot painting techniques with personal narratives in his art practice.
Jenna Lee is a Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman and KarraJarri Saltwater woman with mixed Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Anglo-Australian ancestry. Lee's work explores language, materiality and the transformation of inherited narratives.
Damien Shen is a South Australian man of Ngarrindjeri and Chinese descent. Shen’s work draws on his cultural heritage to explore themes around identity, culture and history.
Christian Thompson has Bidjara, Irish and Chinese–Australian heritage. Thompson’s multidisciplinary practice spans photography, video, sculpture, performance and sound, exploring themes of cultural hybridity, identity and history.
Jason Wing is of Chinese and Biripi descent. Wing’s work explores issues of bi-culturalism, indigenous rights and political identity through sculpture, street art and installation.
Zhou Xiaoping is a Chinese–Australian artist who has been actively engaged with First Nations communities across Australia since the 1990s.
Exhibition opening and panel conversation
In celebration of Reconciliation Week, join us for the opening of Our Story: Aboriginal–Chinese People in Australia, an exhibition that sheds light on the fascinating history of Aboriginal and Chinese relations in colonial Australia.
This special event features a panel conversation facilitated by National Museum of Australia First Nations Deputy Director, Dr Jilda Andrews, featuring exhibiting artists Gordon Hookey and Jenna Lee along with exhibition curator Zhou Xiaoping.
The exhibition will be open for viewing following the panel discussion.
When
Thursday 29 May, 6–7.30pm
Where
National Museum of Australia
Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula, Canberra
Tickets
This event is free, bookings are required.
Meet the panel
Dr Jilda Andrews is a Yuwaalaraay cultural practitioner and was recently appointed Deputy Director, First Nations at the National Museum of Australia. She brings over 25 years of experience as a leading scholar in museums, anthropology and cultural futures.
Jilda has worked extensively across the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sector in public-facing roles spanning audience engagement, learning, exhibition design and gallery development.
Through her work, Jilda extends the continuities from Australia’s deep cultural roots to help shape dynamic, culturally grounded and inclusive communities and future societies.
Jenna Lee is a Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman and KarraJarri woman of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Anglo-Australian ancestry.
Her work explores language, materiality and inherited narratives, capturing the hidden forces that shape history and identity. Through installations, works on paper, sculpture and multimedia, Lee draws attention to what time erodes and what collective memory suppresses.
Zhou Xiaoping is a Melbourne-based artist and curator, born and educated in China. Since 1988 he has been actively engaged with Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land and the Kimberley.
Trained in the classical Chinese tradition, Xiaoping’s painting practice has evolved through his experience of living and working alongside Aboriginal artists on Country. These collaborations have led to several cross-cultural exhibition projects, including with artists such as Jimmy Pike and Johnny Bulunbulun.
Xiaoping is lead researcher and exhibition curator of the project Our Story: Aboriginal Chinese in Australia.
Gordon Hookey is a Waanyi man from Cloncurry, Queensland, with Chinese and Javanese ancestry. Grounded in a divergent and activist perspective, Hookey locates his art at the intersection of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures, challenging dominant hierarchies and amplifying marginalised voices.
Renowned for his bold, vibrant and idiosyncratic style, Hookey is best known for his biting satire of Australia’s political landscape. A core member of the Brisbane-based Indigenous collective proppaNOW, Hookey is represented in major public and private collections across Australia, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Australian National University, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, University of Queensland Art Museum and University of Technology Sydney.
Acknowledgements
This exhibition was developed by artist and curator Zhou Xiaoping with the support of the National Museum of Australia and the Museum of Chinese Australian History.
Our Story is on show at the National Museum of Australia from 10 April 2025 to 27 January 2026.
Banner image courtesy of Zhou Xiaoping.