A culturally significant place near Tocumwal is the inspiration for Kaiela Arts Editions 2026, a collection of limited edition prints by talented Kwat Kwat artist Norm Yakaduna Stewart, created in collaboration with Melbourne print studio Spacecraft.
Drawing on Stewart's painting of The Blow Hole in southern New South Wales, the collaboration brings his work into a new form through two-colour prints on archival paper and glass.
The release includes 40 hand-printed works on paper, priced at $1,600 each unframed, and 10 silkscreen prints on glass, priced at $3,300 each framed.
The second release in the Kaiela Arts Editions program follows its inaugural collaboration with internationally acclaimed artist Maree Clarke in 2025.
The initiative connects First Nations artists with specialist printmaking expertise, creating opportunities to develop their practice and bring their work to new audiences and collectors.
Public launches will take place at Kaiela Arts in Shepparton on November 26 and Spacecraft in Melbourne on December 5.
The works will be on view at Kaiela Arts from November 26 to December 23 and available to purchase exclusively through its gallery and online, with proceeds directly supporting the art centre's artist programs and community-led cultural practice.
The Blow Hole is a culturally significant place near Tocumwal, New South Wales where water flows and bubbles through a granite outcrop when Dhungala, the Murray River, is low. Stewart's work shares its cultural story through a contemporary practice developed under the name of his great-great-grandfather, Yakaduna, also known as Tommy McRae.
"The Blow Hole near Tocumwal is a significant Aboriginal site shared by Ulupna and Kwat Kwat Traditional Owners. Our Elders tell us that our creator Biami, represented by the snake, entered the underworld there, carving the caverns and tunnel systems," Stewart said.
"When Dhungala - the Murray River - is low, the Blow Hole bubbles. This is Biami's spirit moving through the subterranean world. I painted it to share that story, and because its granite sinkholes hold water and support life through drought.
"Working with Kaiela Arts and Spacecraft has allowed me to take that painting somewhere new. Seeing it printed in two colours, on paper and glass, gives it a different presence. It's something we could only have made together."
Yorta Yorta curator and writer Dr Kimberley Moulton affirms the significance of Norm Stewart's practice within south-eastern First Peoples art histories, recognising its profound connections to Ancestral knowledge, Country and cultural memory:
"The practice of Norm Yakaduna Stewart is expansive and significant to contemporary First Peoples art histories of the south-east," she said.
"Through his work and this special edition of 'The Blowhole', Norm shares a story of deep time and Ancestral memories that have carried through thousands of generations. This knowledge recounts how the land was formed, the Ancestral being Biami that shaped it and how this significant site in Tocumwal continues to connect to people today.
"In creating work in response to the land and waters of the Dhungala/Murray River, Norm reinforces the long history his people have with this site and creates a generous invitation to all people to connect with it and his work.
"This unique print edition is a testament to the power these lands hold and First Peoples knowledge that continues to drive the spirit and care of place and strength in belonging."
Chloe Jones, curator at Kaiela Arts, said the edition offers audiences a way to connect with Stewart's practice and the knowledge it carries.
"Norm is a deeply respected artist, storyteller, caretaker and teacher. His work carries cultural knowledge and a strong connection to Country, and this edition is an opportunity to spend time with a story he has chosen to share," she said.
"Through Editions, artists can explore new materials and processes with specialist collaborators, while keeping their work and stories at the centre. It also creates an opportunity for collectors to support a practising artist and the community-led work of Kaiela Arts."
Kaiela Arts Editions is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program and Greater Shepparton City Council.
The program supports artistic development, intergenerational cultural practice and sustainable creative and commercial opportunities for First Nations artists.
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