Jaren | جڑیں | جذور | Roots

A collaborative exhibition spanning three venues: the Islamic Museum of Australia, La Trobe University and Bundoora Homestead Art Centre. 

Jaren (roots) brings into dialogue a selection of works held in the collections of the Islamic Museum of Australia, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre (City of Darebin) and La Trobe University. Considering our shared context as neighbours, artworks have been chosen that reflect the diverse communities of artists that call or have called Australia home, specifically focusing on artists who express cultural heritage and practices from Central Asia, South Asia, West Asia, North Africa and Eastern Europe.   

Artists in this exhibition share an interest in celebrating and challenging the cultural contexts that shape their lived experiences, often expressing their personal encounters and cultural histories, and how these have informed their beliefs. Many of the artists in Jaren (roots) consider their role within the settler colony, whilst others examine their migration story, mixing humour and traditional techniques with contemporary formalism and subject matter.  

This exhibition is spread across the three venues, with a different selection of works spanning the three collections at each location. Please visit each venue in order to experience all of the artworks on offer.