Kaiela Arts Editions #2
Norm Yakaduna Stewart. Photo by James Henry.
Kaiela Arts announces respected Kwat Kwat artist Norm Yakaduna Stewart as the artist for its 2026 Kaiela Arts Editions release, created in collaboration with Melbourne studio Spacecraft.
A Kwat Kwat, Wurundjeri, Yalaba Yalaba and Moira man, Stewart works across painting, drawing, woodcarving and cultural belongings, creating on Country at his home in Barmah, near the Cummeragunja Sandhills. His vivid practice is both contemporary and grounded in the traditions and mark-making carried through the work of his great-great grandfather Tommy McRae, also known as Yakaduna.
“Norm is a deeply respected artist, storyteller, caretaker and teacher whose practice makes an important contribution to the cultural story of south-east Australia,” said Chloe Jones, Curator, Kaiela Arts.
“Following Maree Clarke’s inaugural release, this second Kaiela Arts Editions collaboration continues the program’s commitment to creating ambitious new opportunities for First Nations artists while bringing their work to wider audiences and collectors,” Jones says.
Norm Yakaduna Stewart and Kaiela Arts curator Chloe Jones at Munarra, in front of Stewart’s artwork. Image courtesy of Kaiela Arts.
The 2026 Kaiela Arts Editions features an exclusive limited edition of 40 hand-printed works on archival paper and 10 silkscreen prints on glass, drawing on The Blow Hole — a culturally significant place near Tocumwal in southern New South Wales, where water flows and bubbles through a granite outcrop when the Murray River is low.
Through this work, Stewart brings together Country, cultural story and the distinctive contemporary practice he has developed under the name of his great-great-grandfather, Yakaduna.
“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,” says Stewart.
“When Dhungala—the Murray River—is low, the Blow Hole bubbles. This is Biami’s spirit moving through the subterranean world. I painted it for this story and because its granite sinkholes hold water and support life through drought. Working with Kaiela Arts and Spacecraft to bring the design into two-colour prints on paper and glass has given the work a new form. Without that collaboration, it would never have happened.”
The works will be displayed at Kaiela Arts from 26 November to 23 December and will be available exclusively through the Kaiela Arts gallery and online, with proceeds supporting Kaiela Arts’ artist programs and community-led cultural practice.
Exhibition
26 November – 23 December 2026
Kaiela Arts, Shepparton Art Museum
Works will be available exclusively through the Kaiela Arts gallery and online at kaielaarts.org.au following the launches.
Registrations essential for the launch events in Shepparton and Melbourne.
