The exhibition, Kowanyama – When Rain Falls, When Earth Sleeps, is the first solo exhibition by Tania Major at Cairns Art Gallery. Enabled through the Gallery’s Artists Fellowship in partnership with the Cairns RSL Club, Major’s works explore the profound connection she holds to her ancestral Country of Kowanyama on Cape York Peninsula. 

In 2024 the Gallery acquired for the Collection three papier-mâché dilly bag sculptures from Major’s series, Tradition Reimagined: Dilly Bags. These will be featured in the exhibition together with new paintings and sculptures.

A Kokoberra woman, Major is a public figure who was named Young Australian of the Year in 2007 and has been a forthright advocate and activist for twenty-five years.

Art is not separate from Major’s activism. She sees her art as visualising the connection between traditional custodians’ knowledge and contemporary environmental conservation, and to inspire dialogue about how ancient practices can guide future stewardship of Country.

Her imagery honours the cultural landscape and vast coastal wetlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria around Kowanyama, which means ‘place of many waters’ in the Yir Yoront language.

Major states, “For me, Country is more than a landscape; it is a living, breathing entity imbued with stories of the past, present, and future. Through my art, I aim to explore and celebrate the sacred role of custodianship, offering audiences a window into this enduring relationship.”

Describing her dilly bag sculptures, Major explained, “Once symbols of practicality for my people... [this] contemporary interpretation acts as a living canvas, embodying the vibrant energy of Kowanyama – a fusion of tradition, nature, and modern artistic expression... Guided by sustainability, I repurpose discarded recycled cardboard boxes into sculptures to breathe new life.”

Her paintings emit a colourful energy and Major’s high-key palette mirrors the intense colours of sunrise and sunset on the western side of the Cape.

Tania Major indeed presents traditions reimagined in her art, upholding the stewardship that custodians of Country embody.