Lin Onus : the land within

Shepparton : Shepparton Art Museum, 2022. Quarto, illustrated gatefold wrappers, pp. 104, illustrated. Printed in an edition of 750 copies.

An inexplicably rare contemporary monograph on Lin Onus (1948 – 1996), with no copies located on Trove or available for sale.

‘The first significant showing of works by Lin Onus, the acclaimed Yorta Yorta artist, on Country, Lin Onus: The Land Within  provides an unparalleled opportunity to root his achievements and legacy in his home Country with his People, the Yorta Yorta, and the broader regional community surrounding Shepparton.

This exhibition weaves together a story of Onus’ experiences and relationships to place, people, and the politics of his time. Bringing together key artworks from across Australia, it celebrates his bold and often irreverent exploration of the reverberating impact of colonisation, the struggle for Indigenous rights, and the strength of Aboriginal people.

Onus had a profound influence on the rise and development of Aboriginal art in South-East Australia. Lin Onus: The Land Within is a timely reappraisal of his eclectic practice for a new generation. It features artworks spanning his career, from his early forays into Western-style landscape paintings in the 1970s, through to his masterly convergence of traditional Aboriginal iconography and photorealism in the 1990s. The exhibition showcases the expansive range of media he utilised, including painting, prints and his beloved sculpture.  ‘ – SAM website