Our Grandmothers

Honouring the mothers behind our mothers. This exhibition celebrates the love, spirit, strength and wisdom embodied by grandmothers in Islam, and highlights their unique legacy to ensure such memories live on. Australia’s Muslim grandmothers are those that fled political turmoil to create a better future for their families; descendants of Afghan cameleers that came to Australia in the 1800s, economic and cultural migrants from Europe, Asia and beyond that saw hope embedded within the burnt red terrain of this majestic land, and recent refugees, seeking the same safety, prosperity and potential afforded to those that came before them. Our grandmothers are also Indigenous women, bearers of untold knowledge, custodians of this stolen land now home to so many. They are those who remained in their homeland and ones whose existence lingers only in memory. Delve into the memories and emotions that our grandmothers evoke – an appreciation for all encompassing love transcending space and time, to communicate in the universal languages of feeling, emotion and experience – reminding us that at our very core we are humans with an innate need to be understood, respected and valued. We collectively reflect on the significance of these powerful women, whose influence has sustained our lives since time immemorial. Mothers, sisters, daughters, teachers, friends, homemakers, doctors, businesswomen, grandmothers, humans – warriors. Standing up for what they believe, to protect and nurture generations; passing on knowledge and wisdom grounded in a fundamental respect for the human spirit. Today we pause, acknowledge, honour, and pay homage to the strong, fearless women without whom we would not be who we are today: Our Grandmothers.