Artist Aziziah Diah Aprilya is showcasing a photographic series of tamarind trees at the Awakening Histories exhibition at Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) in Melbourne. The tamarind trees hold deep cultural significance for both the Bugis people of South Sulawesi and First Nations communities in the Northern Territory as a symbol of communal gathering space.
Running from 4 October to 6 December, the Awakening Histories exhibition features works by 27 artists and collectives from Australia, Indonesia, China, and the Philippines, exploring the historical connections between Australia's First Nations peoples and Makassan seafarers from South Sulawesi.
Why does the tamarind tree symbolise friendship between Makassar and Australia? Why has this history of cultural exchange never been taught in schools? And why is it important for younger generations to reconnect with this forgotten past?
Listen to a conversation on SBS Indonesian, where Aziziah Diah Aprilya, a young photographer and artist from Makassar, talks about her work 'Under the Tamarind Tree', and Darrell Sibosado, a carving artist from the Kimberley Coast, discusses his works 'Niman Aarl' and 'Umbun (Eagle Ray)', to learn more about a history that transcends colonial narratives.
Listen to the full podcast.
