Sidney Nolan Exhibition at AGNSW: Voices from the Japanese language guided tour
Sidney Nolan remains a towering figure of Australian modernism, and his new retrospective Nolan: Origins opens at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The show assembles early sketches, iconic Ned Kelly series, and later works, tracing the evolution of his bold, narrative style.
On 1 November the gallery hosted its first Japanese‑language guided tour, inviting a diverse group of listeners to explore Nolan’s visual language through a bilingual lens. The guide highlighted the artist’s fascination with myth, landscape and identity, while participants shared personal reflections on how the images resonated with their own cultural narratives.
The tour demonstrated how Nolan’s dramatic chiaroscuro and stark compositions can act as a bridge between Australian and Japanese sensibilities, prompting dialogue about migration, storytelling and the power of art to cross borders. Visitors left with a renewed appreciation for the artist’s restless curiosity and the gallery’s commitment to inclusive programming.