NAIDOC has roots that run deep. What began as a Day of Mourning march through the streets of Sydney in 1938 has grown into five decades of national celebration, a platform built on resistance, culture, pride and the refusal to be silenced. This year's theme, 50 Years of Deadly, honours that journey. It's a tribute to the Elders who stood firm, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up.

At Spinifex Hill Studio on Kariyarra Country, NAIDOC means something close to home. We asked the team what it means to them.
‍

“It's the time that I reminisce about NAIDOC and family,” Kiahni Lewis, Artist and Gallery Coordinator.

‍“Acknowledging and celebrating the oldest living, surviving and thriving culture,” Asharni Brown, Gallery Coordinator.‍

“It's about celebrating and embracing strong culture,” Eldride Edwards, Team Leader, Spinifex Hill Studio.‍

“It's about my people,” Sophia Alone, Artist.

‍

Deadly | 50 Years of NAIDOC carries exactly that. New and existing works from Spinifex Hill Studio artists, grounded in Country, identity, connection and strength, each painting a statement, and together a marker of fifty years of a celebration that has always belonged to mob.

Spinifex Hill Studio, South Hedland 25 June - 6 September