Curious Christian

The biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is often imagined through a Middle Eastern len, or filtered through European artistic traditions. But what if we payed more attention to world’s oldest continuous living cultures, those of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia? With archaeological evidence showing human presence on this continent for at least 65,000 years, it’s worth asking: if anyone can embody the first man and woman for us, why not them?

This is precisely the approach taken by Margaret Preston in her painting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. She reimagines the ancient narrative taking place within an Australian landscape, placing Indigenous figures at its centre and inviting us to see the old story in a fresh way.