Newcastle Art Gallery revels in Australian first exhibitions

Newcastle Art Gallery is flexing its newly expanded exhibition space, having launched two Australian first shows as it continues its return to the city’s cultural scene.

The gallery has unveiled Internationally recognised, Newcastle based artist Angela Tiatia, alongside the Australian debut of Japanese artist A.A.Murakami’s immersive installation: New Spring.

The exhibitions mark another milestone for the Gallery following its reopening earlier this year, with director Lauretta Morton OAM saying the expansion had created opportunities well beyond simply adding more exhibition space.

“The expansion gave us physical scale, but the real transformation came from expanding our thinking about what our state of the art institution should offer,” Ms Morton said.

“We celebrate local and national artists and champion artists of global impact, creating world-class exhibitions that engage people with the transformational power of art.”

For Tiatia, the exhibition carries an added local connection.

Now regarded as one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Australian art, the Newcastle based artist will have works spanning two decades brought together for Angela Tiatia: Muse.

Featuring video, photography and installation, the ticketed exhibition traces Tiatia’s career from her earliest practice through to large-scale works incorporating figures and ensemble casts.

Among the works is The Marias, a 2025 piece created using footage captured during the National Portrait Gallery’s commission of the Matildas.

The work brings together footage of 23 players from the CommBank Matildas FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 squad, including Newcastle’s Emily van Egmond and Clare Wheeler.

Visitors will also be among the first in Australia to experience A.A. Murakami’s New Spring.

The multisensory work was created by Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves as part of their ephemeral technology series, in which the artists make their own machines to recreate natural phenomena.

Inside the installation, luminous mist-filled bubbles bloom and fall like flowers from tree-like sculptures.

Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation Chair Suzie Galwey said bringing a major international exhibition to Newcastle reflected the possibilities created by the redeveloped Gallery.

“As the Gallery’s major philanthropic supporter, the Foundation is delighted to support the activation of our wonderful new Gallery and bring ambitious international exhibitions to our community,” she said.

The Gallery is also unveiling a new window commission in its Learning Studio facing Darby Street by Hunter-based artist Indah Clark.

Both Angela Tiatia: Muse and A.A. Murakami: New Spring, run from 26 September 2026 to 7 February 2027.

Muse is ticketed, while New Spring is free to the public. Tickets for Muse: are $20 for adult, $18 for concession and $8 child.

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