Over many millennia of co-existence animals have been central to survival as a food source, for First Nations people they are also absorbed into lore and culture as images of totemic power; and into the ancestral creation stories that link people, land and animals. ‘Great and Small’ is a celebration of these connections.
 

‘Great and Small: Kindred Creatures in the Indigenous Australian Art Collection’ is on display until mid-2027 in the Dr Paul Eliadis AM Galleries (1 and 2), QAG. To make the most of your visit, check the exhibition dates, find out about getting here, parking and Gallery accessibility. As this is a rotating exhibition, not all works listed below will be on display simultaneously.

Feature image: Works by (l–r) Danie Mellor (© Danie Mellor), Paniny Mick and collaborators (© The artists), and Jimmy Donegan (© Jimmy Donegan/Copyright Agency), installed at QAG for 'Great and Small', July 2025 / © The artists / Photograph: C Callistemon, QAGOMA