Exhibition

Ngarrindjeri Nukkan: Threads of Connection

Jackie Saunders

About the exhibition

Ngarrindjeri Nukkan: Threads of Connection is a deeply personal and culturally grounded exhibition by Aboriginal artist Jackie Saunders. This new body of work explores themes of renewal, resilience, and reconnection to land and spirit, expressed through Jackie’s distinctive painting style and bold use of colour, line, and layered symbolism. As a proud Ngarrindjeri woman living with disability, Jackie brings a powerful and unique perspective to her art, weaving together personal stories with ancestral memory and the strength of cultural continuity.

Created during her Nexus Arts residency on Kaurna Yarta, the works honour both her own heritage and her respectful relationship to place and community. A vital part of this process was Jackie’s collaboration with a First Nations artist mentor, whose cultural and creative guidance provided a safe space for reflection, growth, and deeper connection to her practice. This mentorship strengthened the integrity of the work and affirmed the importance of intergenerational knowledge-sharing within the arts.

This solo exhibition is the culmination of a 3 month studio residency at Nexus Arts, as part of the South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival 2025.

24th July 2025 – 5th September 2025

Explore the exhibition

- Artwork Night Sky
- Year 2020
- Medium Acrylic on canvas
- Size 122cm x 92cm
- Artwork River Memories
- Year 2024
- Medium acrylic on canvas
- Size 183 x 150cm
- Artwork Waterfall Sunset
- Year 2024
- Medium Acrylic on canvas
- Size 183cm x 112.5cm

Meet the artists & curators

Ngarrindjeri Wirangu artist Jackie Saunders is an emerging Indigenous artist whose work is deeply rooted in her heritage and lived experiences as a person with disability. Drawing from the rich traditions of her ancestors, she creates compelling visual narratives that celebrate Indigenous culture while also addressing themes of identity, resilience, and the intersectionality of disability.

She was exhibited in ACE Open’s 2020 exhibition ‘If the Future is to be Worth Anything: 2020 South Australian Artist Survey’. In the same year, she won the Dawn Slade-Faull Award, which enabled her to present her debut solo exhibition, ‘Salt & Sand’. Her work was featured in Tarnanthi 2021, with a follow up solo show in Tarnanthi 2023. In 2022, she collaborated with Laura Wills on the exhibition ‘Mineral Lines’ at the South Australian Museum. In 2024, her piece Desert Sundown (Alice Springs) was acquired by the Art Gallery of South Australia. Jackie will take part in a Nexus Studio Residency for SALA 2025, which includes a mentorship with an established artist.

Image courtesy of Tutti Arts. Image credit: Sam Roberts

What's on

24 Jul - 05 Sep 202510am - 4pm