Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist Archie Moore is renowned for politically astute and materially delicate portrays of self and national histories. This black monograph draws upon the artist’s research with family, community and archivists to celebrate First Nations Australian sovereignty and kinship ties that span more than 2,400 generations and 65,000 years. Archie’s extensive genealogical project captures the common ancestors of all humans, emphasising the universality of the family tree. Essays highlight how Archie enacts Indigenous language maintenance and confronts ongoing legacies of colonisation, including the overincarceration of Indigenous peoples in Australia. The publication centres a First Nations Australian understanding of time, where past, present and future are coexistent. The book and corresponding exhibition curated by Ellie Buttrose are commissioned by Creative Australia.

First Nations artist Archie Moore creates conceptual, research-based portrayals of self and national histories.

Ellie Buttrose is critic and a curator at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Australia.

Grace Lucas-Pennington is a Bundjalung editor, mentor and writer.

Languages: English, Gamilaraay and Bigambul