First Nations & Australian Fine Art Auction
Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
AustraliaArt Leven
- Every day, 10am to 6pm
- Thursday 14 May to Tuesday 19 May
VERNISSAGE
Thursday 14 May 2026 | 5 - 8pm
VIEWING
FRIDAY 15 - TUESDAY 19 May 2026
10am - 6pm
ART LEVEN
104 CATHEDRAL STREET WOOLLOOMOOLOO NSW 2011 AUSTRALIA
AUCTION | LIVE & ONLINE
TUESDAY 19 MAY 2026
7 pm AEST Start
ARTSPACE
THE GUNNERY, 43/51 COWPER WHARF ROADWAY WOOLLOOMOOLOO NSW 2011 AUSTRALIA
ENQUIRIES
auction@artleven.com | +61 (0)2 9300 9233
DIRECTOR | Mirri Leven | +61 (0)416 379 691
SPECIALIST | Emma Lenyszyn | +61 (0)400 822 546
It is a privilege to present First Nations & Australian Fine Art: Featuring the Collection of Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO and Sir Nicholas Shehadie AC OBE, a collection shaped by connoisseurship and a lifetime of engagement with artists and communities across the continent.
I first met Dame Marie Bashir in 2009 when she opened the exhibition
Written in the Land: The Life of Queenie McKenzie at Coo-ee Aboriginal Art. Mary and Joseph, 1997 (LOT 73), was included in that exhibition, which was the first major show I worked on. At the time, I was still finding my place within the industry. During that visit she said to me, simply: “Keep going. We need more women like you.” It was a brief exchange, but one that has stayed with me.
That sense of encouragement and curiosity runs through this collection. As her daughter Susan Shehadie recalls, it reflects “her respect, love and deep personal connection to First Nations people and culture, and her love for
Australia and humanity in general.” It is not organised around a single movement or category, but shaped by relationships with artists and with place.
Over many years, Bashir and Shehadie travelled extensively across the continent. These were not trips driven by acquisition, but by a desire to learn and listen. As curator Ace Bourke observed, “her main reason for being there was to listen to the pulse of the nation she loved.” The works that entered the collection were gathered through these encounters.
Many of the works are modest in scale, but assured in their presence. Their strength lies in the clarity of their intent and the depth of their meaning. This reflects how they were acquired, through moments of exchange rather than a pursuit of monumentality. Bashir collected with confidence, drawn to works that carried meaning and spoke to the realities of this country.
The collection presents a broader view of Australian art, where different practices sit alongside one another. It is held together by a shared sense of significance, with each work carrying its own story and place within a larger context.
It is an honour to bring this collection to auction. In doing so, we recognise the importance of the works and the legacy of the collectors who brought them together. - Mirri Leven