Find artistic treasures large and small as you stroll around Kambri, where art and the community are brought together.

Reflect, relax, and be inspired as you explore the Kambri precinct, where you can choose to participate actively or passively in the rich display of public artworks.

Featuring significant Indigenous paintings, noteworthy sculptures and a Sidney Nolan masterpiece, the diverse selection of art at Kambri attests to a culture that values creative thinking.

When the Kambri precinct was opened in February 2019, one of the major highlights was the grand reveal of Sidney Nolan’s seminal artwork, Eureka Stockade, a striking 20-metre long mural that is recognised as one of Nolan’s largest and most ambitious works.

The install was nothing short of monumental, with the work made up of 66 copperplate panels that depict the Battle of the Eureka Stockade, which took place on the Ballarat goldfields in December 1854. The medium of enamel on copper invokes the volatile, incendiary quality of those infamous skirmishes.

The artwork was donated to ANU by the Reserve Bank of Australia, which commissioned it to adorn the foyer of their head office in Melbourne when it was completed in 1966. Now hanging in the Manning Clark Hall in the Kambri Cultural Centre, visitors are able to view the work during non-teaching periods.

Also located in the Cultural Centre, hanging prominently in the foyer, are 10 large works that are part of Indigenous artist Naata Nungurrayi’s epic 155 piece collection titled Iconography, completed between 2011-2014 when she was in her early eighties.

Naata’s Iconography series consists of large-scale line drawings in black paint inscribed on to canvases primed with a resplendent ruby red. This series marked a break with her earlier style, with no elaboration, filling-in or dots. The paintings reflect the most elemental experiences of living with the earth, with the artist deliberately exposing the bare bones of her “Dreamings” and reducing them to their essential lines. Also of significance is the fact that Naata is one of the few women who have the authority to represent aspects of the Tingari story, which is normally the prerogative of men.

Another Indigenous work of note is much more recent – the magnificent Kambri Ground Map is a sculpture created by Wellspring Arts, which was installed in a prominent public section of Kambri in time for the precinct’s opening in early 2019.

The Ground Map is a stunning visual depiction of significant Indigenous sites from the local area. Wellspring Arts were honoured to be entrusted by the Ngunawal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri Elders to bring their vision to fruition. The Ground Map portrays valleys that are criss-crossed with ancient pathways that are still enormously important today.

The plethora of artworks in the vibrant public realm ensure Kambri will remain a learning, events and leisure destination for generations to come.

Take a virtual look at David and Noni Cragg’s exhibition, ‘Mirrung’, shown at aMBUSH Gallery, Kambri.

aMBUSH’s current exhibition has been digitised! You can now view ‘Mirrung’ from the comfort of your home. 

David and Noni Cragg are Sydney-based artists – a brother and sister duo inspired by their First Nations, Scottish and Irish background – who have combined their styles and talents for this unique exhibition.

Mirrung – meaning ‘belonging’ in Dharug, the Sydney language – is a vibrant show featuring rainbow-hued portraits of over a dozen Australian creatives, working across a variety of fields.

Their choice of subjects was a deliberate attempt to showcase the range of cultural backgrounds that make up Australia, and question the concept of what it means to be ‘Australian’, as well as explore notions of belonging, community, representation and intersectionality.

Also featured in the exhibition are solo works by David depicting dreamy Australian landscapes with radiant flora and fauna.

A classically trained painter, Noni studied at the National Art School in Sydney and has exhibited in a number of solo and group shows, developing a reputation for her intricate portraits.

David has a long background in graphic design and street art, having worked with some of Australia’s leading artists in this area, and studying at Bradfield Design College and the Design Centre in Enmore.

The pair have been painting and drawing together since they were children and have previously collaborated on shows, but this is their largest to date.

They worked collaboratively on the pieces displayed in ‘Mirrung’, each bringing their individual strengths and expertise to the portraits.

‘Mirrung’ is the first in a series of joint projects they have lined up, aiming to amplify diversity, First Nations narratives and connection to country.

In addition to viewing the works online here, you can watch an entertaining interview with David and Noni here where they discuss being emerging artists, exciting plans for the future, and the meaningful portraits that make up ‘Mirrung’.

Reg Mombassa (aka Chris O’Doherty) returned to Canberra to close his summer blockbuster exhibition – ‘Psychedelic Realism’ – at aMBUSH Gallery.

During a fascinating series of artist talks for students and the general public – held at Kambri in February 2020 – Reg Mombassa reflected on his early life, his interests, the themes in his work, his decorated career, and his latest exhibition, ‘Psychedelic Realism’, which enjoyed a three-month run at aMBUSH Gallery, Kambri.

The conversations were facilitated by Ruth Waller, an ANU School of Art and Design Professor, and Joseph Nuttal, an ANU School of Art and Design student.

‘Psychedelic Realism’ was a mammoth exhibition showcasing over 70 of the Sydney-based artist’s diverse pieces and consisted of his favoured forms and themes – suburban and rural landscapes, graphic works and absurd allegorical narratives.

Produced and presented by aMBUSH Gallery, and co-curated with Reg himself, the show was a dynamic collection of paintings, drawings, digital prints, etchings, and posters, created with mediums including acrylics, oils, charcoal, crayon, pencil and mixed media.

Visitors were able to see firsthand Reg’s incredible talent played out across the huge body of works: traversing the thoughtful and serene to the bizarre and ridiculous, as well as everything in between that happens to have crossed his unique mind.

Some works were completed as recently as late 2019, while others reach back through the decades to his days as a student, inspired by exploring the natural world around him, then later with his work for Mambo, which was often driven by the surrealist theory of free association.

The subject matters were wide-ranging and encompassed self-portraits (including the Archibald-nominated ‘Self-portrait with high pants’), and many recognisable and venerated characters from his prolific days as a Mambo artist, including Australian Jesus and Space Monster, plus robots, suburban houses, and landscapes inspired by his childhood in New Zealand and drives through the Australian countryside.

His plein air charcoal drawings and portraiture reveals a contemplative creative spirit that was often ignited while travelling the world with his popular rock band, Mental As Anything.

‘Psychedelic Realism’ was a dreamlike journey through landscapes, absurdity and sheer magic that made viewers thrill to the power of art again, thanks to the inimitable Reg Mombassa (aka Chris O’Doherty), one of Australia’s most loved and renowned artists.