As part of International Women’s Day, Gallery Lane Cove’s latest exhibition is Women of Strength and Honour: Being, Belonging and Becoming.

This exhibition presents work by Indigenous women artists from Australia, Latin America, India and Fiji, working across painting, ceramics, sculpture, and music.

Together, the works reflect on strength as something practised daily, through care, resistance, cultural knowledge, and connection to place. The artist speaks to honour and belonging not as fixed ideas, but as ongoing processes shaped across generations.

Exhibition Period:  25 February – 21 March 2026

Opening Event: Wed 4 March, 6 pm- 8 pm – RSVP here

Request a Catalogue:  Email here.

Artists: Anne-Marre Armstrong, Miriam Cabello, Pooja Kaul, Aunty Jeanie Moran, Reena Naidu, Aunty Karen Wallace

Curator:  Miriam Cabello

Miriam Cabello is a Chilean-Australian interdisciplinary artist, curator, and academic educator, based in Sydney. Her artwork challenges the issues of our time via socially engaging public art projects, programs and workshops. Through her vibrant and luminous oil paintings, she spotlights poignant stories of social injustice and resistance.

Curatorial Statement

The curatorial concept for this exhibition developed during the lead-up to the 2023 Voice Referendum and the Mapuche Struggle for the Recognition of its Nation. I reflected on the alignment of my two homes, cultures, and countries – Australia and Chile. Unfortunately, 2023 was a profoundly challenging and discouraging year for First Nations peoples in both Australia and Chile, marked by significant electoral setbacks as national referendums to grant them greater constitutional recognition and rights were defeated.

The emotional turmoil leading up to and following the “No” vote and “Against” vote, respectively, fuelled my creative process. I pondered what might have happened if the proposal to amend the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice had passed. Chile remains one of only two countries in Latin America (along with Uruguay) that does not constitutionally recognise its Indigenous populations.
The catalyst to curate “Women of Strength & Honour” came from listening to an exclusive interview with Elisa Loncon on SBS Spanish. She visited Australia to launch her latest book and connect with indigenous Australian scholars. She shared childhood memories of growing up in Mapuche culture, her defence of languages, her time as president of Chile’s constituent convention, and the recognition of Australian Indigenous peoples in the Constitution.

The acts of resistance in Chile and its diaspora influence my current body of work, inspired by my 2019 sojourn to Chile and Peru. Since the end of Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship in 1990, Chile has faced ongoing human rights issues and the most significant civil unrest in recent decades. Over 1.2 million people took part in the 2019 protests, which led to a plebiscite and the appointment of the first Mapuche woman and academic, Elisa Loncon, to lead the drafting of Chile’s new constitution. My Latin American identity was further strengthened during a 2025 six-week exploration of Mapuche culture and artisans.

I am inspired by the canon of Latin artists, and my goal as an artist is to foster empathy and critical thinking. Living in Australia, I see myself as a Latin American artist, and I hope my work encourages the community to celebrate humanity and social justice. My commitment to my roots is to keep creating artworks that highlight resilience in the face of adversity and reveal the cultural bonds that unite us.

Image: “Mapuche Women Warriors”, Miriam Cabello, Mixed media on Canvas, 2021 – 2024 (Image courtesy of the artist)

Children’s Term 1 Classes Begin

Gallery Lane Cove’s children’s term classes kicked off in  February 2026 , offering creative after-school programs designed to build confidence, skills and imagination.

Classes are available for a range of ages and focus on:

• Drawing, painting and mixed media
• Sewing
• Pottery

These programs are extremely popular with local families, and places are limited.

Adult Term Classes: Learn Something New in 2026

For adults keen to start (or restart) a creative practice, adult term classes begin in February and cater to all experience levels — from beginners to more experienced artists.

Classes provide structured learning, creative experimentation and the chance to connect with other local creatives, covering areas such as:

• Pottery
• Pain & Draw
• Yoga
• Watercolours
• Printmaking
• Composition & Collage

A Creative Start to the Year

With a culturally rich exhibition and a strong line-up of classes and workshops, Gallery Lane Cove is the perfect place to explore creativity  — whether you’re visiting an exhibition, enrolling your child, or doing something just for yourself.

Address: 164 Longueville Road, Lane Cove NSW 2066
Contact: 02 9428 4898 [email protected]

Opening hours
Monday CLOSED
Tuesday – Friday 10am – 4.30pm
Saturday 10am – 2:30pm
Sunday CLOSED
Public Holidays CLOSED

Gallery Lane Cove is a Lane Cove Council facility managed by Centrehouse Inc.
This is a sponsored post at a reduced rate for a local community group.