More than 50 Aboriginal art pieces are part of an exhibition from Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE graduates who have completed a Certificate III in Visual Arts and Certificate II in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts.
Their hard work will be on display at the Shepparton's GOTAFE campus until Tuesday.
That includes textiles, sculpture, screen-printed and hand-dyed textiles, jewellery, wooden artefacts, emu eggs, paintings and prints.
For student Greg James, the exhibition is a culmination of 12 months of hard work in the course that he said had given him the opportunity to take his art to the next level.
“For Aboriginal people art is in our DNA, it's in our culture, our lifestyle, and it's how we express ourselves,” he said.
“I've had the opportunity to improve my skills and learn new methods, and get some new perspectives on how to present our art.
“We learned about pottery and emu egg carving, and those are real skills we can now transfer into our art.”
Included in the exhibition is skateboards, hoodies, silk scarves and t-shirts that have been adorned with Aboriginal art by students.
They have also been involved in projects during the year, including a street art mural and a statewide collective exhibition for regional Victorian Aboriginal women.
“This exhibition is a celebration of how powerful making art can be and how it affects people in a strong and positive way,” GOTAFE chief executive Travis Heeney said.
“Attending GOTAFE is allowing these students to explore their cultural identity, and is assisting them in gaining the skills they need to work in the arts.”
The gallery is open to the public at the GOTAFE Shepparton campus on Fryers St, with a range of student work available for sale.
Kaiela Arts gallery will then play host to a selection of students’ artwork as part of their Along the River Christmas exhibition.