In the heart of our nation’s capital, there has recently been opened a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit highlighting the diverse culture in Australia. “The Stars We Don’t See: Australian Indigenous Art” has landed in the National Gallery of art in D.C. leaving its mark in the exhibition. From opening day on November 15 the gallery will continue to amaze visitors till its closing date on March 1.

“The exhibit is so cool, I love how it is interpretive, and shows Australian culture that you may have never seen before,” sophomore Jude Murray said.

In indigenous Australian culture, art is more than decoration, it tells a story. Throughout the pieces many symbols and patterns are visual translations of oral stories and history, passed down through generations.

The showcase brings together nearly 200 paintings from over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. The exhibit focuses on the connection of art to land, people, family, culture and history. The exhibit gets its name from many pieces displaying connections to the night sky such as constellations.

“I especially felt drawn to the pieces reflecting space and the star, it was just so mesmerizing,” junior Martina Cantua said.

This ambitious exhibit is the largest indigenous art display in North America. In the East wing of the National Gallery, visitors gather to view a variety of artworks, notably ochre bark paintings, cultural objects and ambitious experimental weavings.

“The national gallery of art is a great place for this exhibit. I go a lot with my family to look at all the art so I’m glad they are refreshing it with a new exhibit,” Murray said.

One highlight of this exhibit is the conceptual map paintings of the central and western desserts, these are commonly referred to as “dot paintings” which use dots to create intricate patterns for visual story telling.

“I liked how the dots in a lot of the paintings represent stars and powers, and other parts of astrology,” freshman Elizabeth Polizzi said.

The exhibit is furnished by art picked by a variety of Australian art directors notably, Myles-Russell-Cook, in which they choose pieces that would be appealing to American audiences. This exhibit has taken over several other major art galleries across the United States, those being Denver Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, Peabody Essex Museum.

“It’s one of the best contemporary representations of aboriginal culture we have available near us,” Cantua said. “The way it represents Australian culture is so unique and interesting to look at.”