Sally Gabori, the surprising contemporary art exhibition at the Cartier Foundation

Discover this woman with an extraordinary destiny: Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori is one of the greatest contemporary artists in Australia. And yet, she started to paint at 80 years of age! Come and meet this surprising artist and admire her work displayed from July 3 to November 6, 2022, at the Fondation Cartier.

For the first time, Sally Gabori’s paintings are exhibited outside Australia. This retrospective allows us to discover an impressive woman through thirty huge paintings. Works by this Australian artist are very colorful. Shapes, movements, impulsions on the canvas represent Australia, its contrasts and energy.

As a matter of fact, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori belongs to the Aboriginal people of Kaiadilt. Born in 1924, Sally Gabori lived a traditional life for a long time, using the natural resources of her island to live. She used to fish and weave baskets. The Kaiadilts are a very small tribe. This people counted up to 125 people in 1944, and only 63 people in 1948 after a tidal wave destroyed Bentinck Island, where the Aboriginals lived, far from European colonists.

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In 2005, at the age of 80, Sally Gabori starts to paint. In her own way, she depicts her native island set north of Australia, the story of her people, her beliefs… Her works are a way to represent the rights of the Kaiadilts who had to fight to keep their independence, lands and lifestyle.

From 2005 to 2015 – when she died – Sally Gabori painted about 2,000 paintings. An exceptional creativity and a moving talent that made her pieces access the first row of the contemporary art scene. Aboriginal is now one of the leading figures in Australian art.

The Cartier Foundation allows you to enjoy the work of this oh-so exceptional artist. To complete the exhibition, the institution also displays three collaborative pieces made by Kaiadilt artists and especially Sally Gabori’s daughters.

A very beautiful exhibition to visit now, to enjoy paintings coming straight from Australia and learn more about the Kaiadilt people and their story.