Contemporary canvas paintings and ancient cultural practices such as Quandamooka design, song and dance will combine for the final exhibition in Redland City Council’s three-year Create Exchange Program.
Create Exchange: Painted Up by Quandamooka artist Dean Biŋkin Tyson will be on display across two Redland Art Gallery venues until 9 June 2026.
Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell said Painted Up marked an important milestone as the concluding exhibition of the current three-year Create Exchange program of artist-residency style exhibitions and activations, made possible through philanthropic support.
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“Create Exchange has supported artists to share their stories and connect with our community over the past three years,” the Mayor said.
“We are proud to present this final exhibition by Dean Biŋkin Tyson, whose work reflects the strength, resilience and continuity of Quandamooka culture.”
A Quandamooka artist of Ngugi and Goenpel descent, Mr Tyson invites audiences onto his ancestral homelands, offering an intimate reflection of his cultural inheritance as a traditional owner and Goori artist.
The exhibition brings together Mr Tyson’s individual practice alongside collaborations with family and community, grounded in honour, reciprocity and deep cultural responsibility.
It reflects the interconnected cultures of the Ngugi, Goenpel and Noonuccal peoples – collectively known as the Quandamooka people – whose homelands span the islands and mainland coastline of Redlands Coast and Moreton Bay.
The Mayor said the exhibition provided an opportunity for the community to engage with living cultural knowledge.
“This exhibition is a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to and respecting the stories and traditions of Quandamooka people,” she said.
Mr Tyson’s multidisciplinary practice spans painting, dance, song and didgeridoo, with each element inseparable from his cultural identity and connection to Country.
His works incorporate ochre and natural pigments alongside contemporary forms, reflecting the continuation of cultural practices maintained for tens of thousands of years.
Mr Tyson said the act of being ‘painted up’ carried deep cultural meaning.
“For me, painting with ochre or being painted up is a privilege,” he said.
“‘Painting up’ is the embodiment of our culture.”
Painted Up is the final instalment of Create Exchange, a three‑year program of artist residencies, exhibitions and activations presented by Redland Art Gallery.
You can experience this exhibition at Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland until 9 June 2026, with a special sneak‑peek viewing week from 7 to 10 April featuring the artist live painting in the gallery.
The exhibition also includes works at The Mezz at Redland Performing Arts Centre (RPAC) until 29 May 2026.
For more information and bookings for the exhibition opening event on Sunday 12 April or panel talk on Sunday 31 May, visit artgallery.redland.qld.gov.au
Create Exchange is supported by Haymans Electrical and Data Suppliers, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Redland Art Gallery and Redland City Council.
Previous Create Exchange exhibitions showcased the work of Quandamooka mother and daughter artists Sonja Carmichael and Elisa Jane Carmichael in 2024 and Quandamooka artist and designer Delvene Cockatoo-Collins in 2025.
ENDS
