As NAIDOC Week draws to a close, the National Art School (NAS) proudly presents 'The Neighbour at the Gate' - a powerful new exhibition exploring the shared histories and connections between First Nations and Asian Australian communities. Open to the public from 11 July to 18 October, the exhibition will be held at the NAS Gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney.

Supported by the NSW Government through the Blockbusters Funding initiative, the exhibition is led by a team of experienced curators and artists, including Wardandi (Noongar) and Badimaya (Yamatji) woman and senior curator Clothilde Bullen OAM, alongside Micheal Do, and Whadjuk Balladong and Wilman (Noongar) woman Zali Morgan.

The exhibition creates a platform for critical conversations on identity, belonging and shared experiences. Shaped around a shared curatorial vision, the artworks on display will explore how historical immigration policies and the legacies of colonialism continue to influence First Nations and Asian Australian communities.

"This exhibition seeks to centre connection between First Nations and Asian Australian cultural groups and raise the level of awareness of those connections, which have existed outside dominant or mainstream culture for as long as humans have come and gone to this continent," said Curator Clothilde Bullen.

"It is urgent and timely that we offer audiences the opportunity to think deeply about how we frame our national identity, presenting new dialogues about what it means to be an Australian and who we are as a country today.

"By gathering the artists and curators together to tell their stories, we consider the importance of who gets to tell these stories, the archive from which they are drawn, and how they shape perceptions and identities."

The exhibition showcases six leading contemporary First Nations and Asian Australian artists whose works span built installation, sound, photography, and video, each uniquely portraying identity, history, and cultural connection. Featured artists include:

Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding and Jenna Mayilema Lee - whose heritage includes First Nations Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman, and KarraJarri Saltwater peoples, as well as Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Anglo-Australian ancestry - respond to colonial legacies and historical immigration policies through personal and symbolic works.

They are joined by Vietnamese-Australian artist James Nguyen, Malaysian Chinese artist Jacky Cheng, and Iranian-Australian Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson, each examining themes of trauma, displacement and belonging.

Completing the group is Nunga (Kaurna Miyurna) and Māori (Te Arawa) artist James Tylor, whose work reimagines and reconstructs memories of First Nations knowledge and language.

Reflecting on the exhibition, National Art School Director and CEO Dr Kristen Sharp emphasised its cultural and artistic significance:

"Through this initiative, the National Art School reaffirms its commitment to activating spaces to enhance artistic expression, fostering collaboration, and presenting exhibitions that profoundly shape contemporary art discourse," she said.

"This exhibition emerges from a generative collaboration between the National Art School, the Curatorium and the artists. It provides a dynamic setting for expanding dialogues around identity, belonging and challenging histories of colonialism."

National Art School Project Co-leads Katrina Cashman and John Waight noted the significance of the project in the current social and cultural context.

"This is an important project for the National Art School at a critical time in our nation's history. We are pleased to be able to lead the cultural conversation with truth-telling at the core of this special project," she said.

'The Neighbour at the Gate' amplifies voices often unheard in the mainstream, inviting audiences to imagine a more inclusive and truthful definition of what it means to be an Australian and who we are as a country today.

To celebrate the opening weekend, NAS is hosting a dynamic program of public events over two days on Friday, 11 July and Saturday, 12 July. It includes artist talks, demonstrations, sound baths, family-friendly drop-in workshops, DJs, food trucks and the Shared Skies music concert headlined by BARKAA, with opener Rainbow Chan and DJ Rocky Stallone.

Learn more about the artists, the exhibition and events online.

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Featured image: Dennis Golding, Bingo, 2025, installation view, The Neighbour at the Gate, National Art School Gallery, Sydney, 2025, etching on paper, cardboard, copper, wood, commissioned by the National Art School with support of the NSW Government through the Blockbusters Funding initiative, image courtesy the artist and the National Art School © the artist. Image: Peter Morgan.