Starting May 15, the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) presents an exhibition entitled Two Islands, One Thread: The Art and Cultures of Lombok & Bali.
This is the first exhibition in Australia to explore the remarkable artistic and cultural relationship between two distinct Indonesian peoples, Muslim-majority Lombok and Hindu-majority Bali.
Through a vast collection of textiles, drawings, paintings, and rarely exhibited objects, the exhibition reveals how maritime contact, trade, and migration over the centuries across the Lombok Strait have shaped the artistic traditions of the two islands while preserving each other's unique cultural identities.
The exhibition celebrates the history as well as the continuing intelligence of artists from both islands through similar textile legacies.
AGSA's curator of Asian Art, Russell Kelty, explains that the exhibition highlights an often overlooked cultural relationship, where although the two islands are often thought to be culturally distinct, their artistic traditions instead uncover a long history of mutual exchange, adaptation and creativity.
The core of the exhibition is woven, embroidered, painted, and knotted fabrics made by the Sasak indigenous people of Lombok as well as the Balinese people.
For the local community, these works are profound expressions of spiritual belief, identity, and reverence for ancestors.
In parts of Lombok, the intricate songket fabric with the sparkle of metallic threads as well as the distinctive knotted woven fabric shows how deeply embedded textiles are in everyday life.
Meanwhile, the lavish patterns on Balinese textiles reflect the belief that the garments mimic the beauty of divine textiles woven by Hindu gods.
In addition to textiles, Two Islands, One Thread also features a variety of artworks and other objects, including gold plaques of ancestral temples, Balinese temple doors from the 18th century, and large-scale paintings that showcase the architecture, ceremonial life, and art traditions of both islands.
Among the more than 100 works on display, there are textiles from the AGSA collection that have never been published before, as well as a rare loan from the State Museum of West Nusa Tenggara that has just appeared for the first time in Australia.
The presence of these important works was also supported by a grant from Michael Abbott AO KC which during this time enriched the gallery's collection of Southeast Asian art.
AGSA Director Jason Smith stated that the exhibition reflects the gallery's commitment to bringing global cultural diversity to life and strengthening international partnerships. According to him, this significant cultural collaboration between Australia and Indonesia allows the wider public to understand the deeper artistic connections between Lombok and Bali.
As a complement, a major illustrated publication exploring Lombok's textiles, art, and culture will be published and available in AGSA Stores from September 2026.
In addition, on Saturday 12 September, AGSA will hold a major symposium featuring speakers from Australia and Indonesia to celebrate the exhibition as well as launch the book.
The exhibition Two Islands, One Thread: The Art and Cultures of Lombok & Bali can be visited for free at AGSA from May 15 to October 11, 2026, with more information available via the official website agsa.sa.gov.au.
