The Neighbour at the Gate

The National Art School (NAS) presents a major new exhibition, The Neighbour at the Gate, premiering at NAS Galleries from 11 July 2025 – 18 October 2025.

Led by Wardandi (Nyoongar) and Badimaya (Yamatji) woman and senior curator Clothilde Bullen, and a curatorium comprising Micheal Do, senior curator of contemporary art at the Sydney Opera House, and Whadjuk Balladong and Wilman Noongar artist and curator Zali Morgan, this world premiere un-knits and unravels the impacts of colonisation, race and ethnicity between and within First Nations and Asian Australian peoples, whilst highlighting the contemporary and historical parallels and connections between these communities.

The Neighbour at the Gate will bring together three First Nations artists and three Asian Australian artists, presenting new commissions and existing works. These artists include: Dennis Golding, a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay man whose work critiques the social, political and cultural representations of race and identity; Larrakia, Wardaman and Karajarri woman Jenna Lee, exploring how the intersection of language and objects creates or challenges the concept of identity; James Tylor, whose practice explores Australian cultural representations through the perspectives of his mixed heritage comprising Nunga (Kaurna Miyurna), Māori (Te Arawa) and European ancestry; Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson, an Iranian-Australian researcher and video artist exploring inherited stories and post-memory felt by displaced communities; James Nguyen, a Vietnamese born artist examining strategies of decolonisation and interrogating the politics of family history, displacement and diaspora; and Malaysian-born artist and educator Jacky Cheng whose practice weaves narratives from her native experiences with her new found home.

The Neighbour at the Gate also questions how immigration is framed in Australia’s post-colonial context and how First Nations and Asian Australian communities navigate identity and belonging in the wake of this convergence of cultural interaction and resistance.

The Neighbour at the Gate is a commissioned exhibition project for the National Art School, proudly supported by the NSW Government through Blockbusters Funding initiative. The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication, learning and education framework and public program. Further details will be announced in 2025.