By the River

This exhibition of new work by Dharug artist Billy Bain reflects on the migration of the long-finned eel – a passage from saltwater to freshwater that mirrors his own path of cultural return. By the River draws on Bain's experience growing up off Country on Sydney's Northern Beaches, where surfing shaped his early connection to place. Over time, he came to consider that he, like the eel, has journeyed from the sea to the freshwaters of the Dyarubbin/Hawkesbury River. This meeting of fresh- and saltwater is a powerful metaphor for Bain's process of reconnecting with the stories and culture of his ancestors, the Boorooberongal people. By the River marks Bain's first exhibition at a state art museum and presents a bold new body of sculpture and paintings.