“Spirit of the Poplar” Uyghur Art Exhibition Concludes Successfully in Australia

by Selime Kamal, Dec 18, 2025

On November 8, the Uyghur art exhibition “Spirit of the Poplar” opened in Sydney, Australia, featuring stunning works by artists Marwayit Hapiz, Akram Imin, Lutpulla, and others, and concluded to wide acclaim.

Malikezat, President of the Sydney Uyghur Cultural Heritage Society, officially announced the start of the event. Dressed in traditional Uyghur attire, young men and women performed dances to classical Uyghur music as the exhibition showcased a skillful blend of traditional fine arts and modern fashion-inspired works in a beautifully decorated hall. Visitors, including local officials such as Annie Stanley, applauded enthusiastically.

The head of the Liverpool Regional Uyghur Community took the stage and said:

“I have learned about the Uyghurs and come to know your community. Today, through this event, I understand you even more deeply. From now on, I will stand by you in any way I can.”

Other regional government officials also spoke, emphasizing that the creativity of the Uyghur artists helped deepen public understanding of Uyghur culture and art. In their congratulatory remarks, they also acknowledged the severe oppression still faced by the Uyghur people.

Attending Uyghurs purchased artworks from the exhibition and praised the artists for continuing the legacy of our cultural heritage, including the globally recognized “Thousand Courtyard Houses” paintings, despite challenging circumstances.

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The exhibition ran for three days in Sydney, followed by two weeks in Melbourne and Adelaide. During this period, the artists gave practical painting lessons to students at the Sydney Hope Uyghur Mother Tongue School and the South Australia Uyghur Mother Tongue School.

I visited Gulnaz Abdullataji, Deputy President of the Uyghur Cultural Heritage Society and organizer of this large-scale, cross-community event.

Reporter: “The event was very successful. Many congratulations. Why did your society organize and implement this plan, especially since such events haven’t happened in Australia before?”

Gulnaz: “I thought about it deeply. I studied at the Beijing Fine Arts Institute from 1982 to 1986. After graduating, I worked as a fine arts teacher at the so-called Xinjiang Art School for eight years, training many students. I immigrated to Australia in 1995 and started life anew. Raising and educating my children and adapting to a new life kept me busy, and I couldn’t continue my professional practice, which I regret.

In recent years, our people have experienced growing spiritual hardship. Some of our artists provide moral support through their art. In the West, competition in this field is strong. Seeing our dedicated artists striving amid this competitive environment impressed me greatly. I thought, ‘What can I do for them, for my Uyghur community?’

Malikezat Ahmet, one of our young, committed leaders, had been teaching the Uyghur language at Sydney Hope School for three and a half years. Together, we formed a group and decided the first step should be organizing an art exhibition. We worked for a year to realize this plan. Some community members helped ease financial challenges, and we are grateful to them.”

Reporter: “I also admired the high quality of the exhibition. What conclusions did you draw from this event?”

Gulnaz: “Whenever a positive initiative comes to life, instead of asking ‘Who did it?’, it’s important to focus on the event’s character, uniqueness, and aspects needing improvement. For the first ‘Spirit of the Poplar’ exhibition, this was a practical lesson for those saying, ‘Art and culture…’. Many young people came to see it. The exhibition served as a lesson in patriotism and national pride, and provided a joyful opportunity for Uyghur communities in three cities to meet.

I sincerely thank our President Malikezat Ahmet and all the devoted members of our organizing group. Most importantly, we were able to provide our artists with a one-time boost of spiritual energy. Through the unique qualities of our cultural and artistic expression, we could show other communities that the Uyghurs are a proud and advanced people. That fills me with pride.”

This article was originally published in Uyghur Post and has been edited, translated and republished in Uyghur Times.

Selime A. Kamal is a pioneering journalist and writer, and an editor at Uyghur Post based in Australia. She is a former reporter and senior editor at Xinjiang Daily. Her widely acclaimed work spans journalism and literature, with published books including Strangers’ Footsteps, Uyghur Voice in Oceania, Yusuf Has Hajip Is Uyghur Himself, and Kutadgu Bilig Is His Word, among others.