We’re all familiar with picturesque Manly Cove, but how much do we really know about the history and significance of the site?

The original name is Gayamay (also known as Kai'ymay) and the site was a point of early contact between First Nations people and the British in 1788.

Gayamay/Manly Cove is also now home to Manly Art Gallery & Museum, where an incredible solo exhibition by Archibald Prize winning Dhungatti artist Blak Douglas is now on display.    

Inverted Commoners examines the themes of place and displacement, the renaming of places by colonisers and the loss of Aboriginal names from our vernacular.

Douglas has used painting, film and sculpture to explore the common ground between the displaced “commoners” transported to Australia and the Aboriginal communities who were displaced by their arrival. 

Bright, colourful landscapes overlaid with big black inverted commas call into question what a place really should be named.

“The inverted commas are suspended upon the landscape as a reminder: ‘but what is this place really named?’ The commas are painted in the blackest pigment currently available, a specialised acrylic paint purposely sourced for this body of work. It infers a spiritual questioning of how much do we really understand about ourselves living on this Country,” Douglas said.

MAG&M has acquired one of the works for its permanent collection. The work, titled "" #1 (Expiry date), features the former aquarium building standing in the waters of Manly Cove, and was commissioned with funds generously donated by the Art & Soul Collective community artist group.

As part of the exhibition, the MAG&M Art Wall facing Gayamay has also been transformed by the artist into a 24/7 public art piece.

There is a meet the artist event on Saturday 8 July, 2 – 3pm.

Inverted Commoners is on exhibition until 30 July 2023 at Manly Art Gallery & Museum. This exhibition has been supported by the Aboriginal Heritage Office and Colormaker Industries.

To find out more visit www.magam.com.au