Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Friday I had the opportunity to attend a very special opening here in Canberra—special because it is first time that a Bendigo Art Gallery exhibition has been on display in one of our national institutions, the Australian National Museum. Pinpii: a contemporary Indigenous fashion exhibition, designed and created in Bendigo, is on display and it is truly remarkable. Shonae Hobson, who is our First Nations curator at the Bendigo Art Gallery, is the brains behind the project.

Pinpii contemporary Indigenous fashion brings together selected garments and textiles by First Nations designers and artists from around Australia. It is also the first major survey of contemporary Indigenous fashion to be undertaken in this country, making my town and our Bendigo Art Gallery incredibly proud to have the foresight to bring this forward. To have a First Nations curator with the passion and drive of Shonae is truly a blessing for us but is also a great opportunity. I encourage all to check out the exhibition. Whilst it is not as grand as it was in Bendigo—the space is not quite as large—it is still a true testament to the talent of our First Nations people.

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