Tjukurpa | Handle It is about stories, the stories told and retold by Elders. Robert Fielding is himself a storyteller and a keeper of Tjukurpa (ancestral stories and beliefs). A contemporary artist of Western Arrernte, Yankunytjatjara, Pakistani, and Afghan descent, he lives in the community of Mimili on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia.
Fielding has spent much of the last decade creating a powerful body of work. What is on display only hints at the breadth of his artistic practice. Traversing a range of mediums—including paint, print, photography, poetry, drawing, film, and sculpture—Fielding’s work is rooted in his personal experience of reclaiming culture as a son of the Stolen Generations. He employs language, whether Yankunytjatjara or English, in his truth-telling and reconciliatory call for unity. Through his highly collaborative practice, Fielding creates community around him and affirms that many cultural practices are stronger than ever.
This exhibition draws from a major survey of Fielding’s work organized by Maitland Regional Art Gallery in New South Wales, Australia, in partnership with Mimili Maku Arts in 2024. As the first international showcase of Fielding’s work since 2018, Tjukurpa | Handle It provides an opportunity to see a considered articulation of his practice. Fielding weaves together threads of his past and present to create a new conversation.
Robert Fielding will undertake an artist residency at Kluge-Ruhe September 24- October 15, 2025. There are two opportunities for the public to engage with Robert while he is here:
Robert Fielding is a contemporary artist of Western Arrernte, Yankunytjatjara, Pakistani, and Afghan descent who lives in the community of Mimili on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Robert combines strong cultural roots with contemporary views on the tensions between community life and global concerns. He confidently moves across different mediums forming a meeting point for different narratives to come together and connect with each other. His practice includes new media, painting, and traditional craftsmanship.
Fielding’s work is rooted in his personal experience of reclaiming culture as a son of the Stolen Generation. He has spent extended periods of time connecting with Australia’s major cultural institutions, while concurrently learning from his Elders on the APY Lands. This personal history brings a uniquely potent perspective to his work, which offers a reminder that many cultural practices are stronger than ever today, while also noticing traditions worn down or destroyed by white intervention. His work is a stern truth-telling and a reconciliatory call for unity simultaneously, constantly bridging perceived opposites, creating new connections and community around him. Through residencies at Canberra Glassworks (2023) and McClelland Sculpture Park (2023), Robert continues to deepen his relationships with peers throughout Australia, always generously inviting collaboration and co-creation.
Robert celebrated his first international solo exhibition at Fondation Opale in Switzerland in late 2018. In 2022, he was featured as part of the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. In 2024, Robert held a major survey show of his recently developed print portfolio at Maitland Regional Gallery. He guest lectured at the Victorian College of the Arts as part of the Stuart Black Fellowship, and is the 2025 recipient of the University of South Australia Jeffrey Smart Commission at the Samstag Museum of Art.
Robert Fielding is a contemporary artist of Western Arrernte, Yankunytjatjara, Pakistani, and Afghan descent who lives in the community of Mimili on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Robert combines strong cultural roots with contemporary views on the tensions between community life and global concerns. He confidently moves across different mediums forming a meeting point for different narratives to come together and connect with each other. His practice includes new media, painting, and traditional craftsmanship.
Fielding’s work is rooted in his personal experience of reclaiming culture as a son of the Stolen Generation. He has spent extended periods of time connecting with Australia’s major cultural institutions, while concurrently learning from his Elders on the APY Lands. This personal history brings a uniquely potent perspective to his work, which offers a reminder that many cultural practices are stronger than ever today, while also noticing traditions worn down or destroyed by white intervention. His work is a stern truth-telling and a reconciliatory call for unity simultaneously, constantly bridging perceived opposites, creating new connections and community around him. Through residencies at Canberra Glassworks (2023) and McClelland Sculpture Park (2023), Robert continues to deepen his relationships with peers throughout Australia, always generously inviting collaboration and co-creation.
Robert celebrated his first international solo exhibition at Fondation Opale in Switzerland in late 2018. In 2022, he was featured as part of the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. In 2024, Robert held a major survey show of his recently developed print portfolio at Maitland Regional Gallery. He guest lectured at the Victorian College of the Arts as part of the Stuart Black Fellowship, and is the 2025 recipient of the University of South Australia Jeffrey Smart Commission at the Samstag Museum of Art.
To view a PDF of the wall text and labels for the exhibition, click the link below:
Tjurkupa | Handle It: Robert Fielding is drawn from the exhibition originally presented by Maitland Regional Art Gallery and is supported by Creative Australia, UVA Arts Council, Mimili Maku Arts and UVA Arts.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website contains the names and images of deceased people.
