For Enlighten 2026, Yankunytjatjara artist Kaylene Whiskey brings her vibrant world to life in a new animated projection on the National Portrait Gallery building. Queens of the Desert takes you on a road trip across Country to the heart of the Australian desert and Whiskey’s hometown of Indulkana on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Jump aboard her party bus and meet heroic kungka kuṉpu (strong women) in a celebration of First Nations joy, strength, and connection to Country.
Created in collaboration with Studio Gilay, this dazzling projection transforms Whiskey’s paintings into luminous moving stories. Queens of the Desert is inspired by Super Kaylene Whiskey, the artist’s first major solo exhibition, on show at the Gallery until 9 March.
About the Artist
Born in 1976 in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Kaylene Whiskey is a Yankunytjatjara artist who lives and works in the Indulkana Community on the APY Lands in the remote northwest of South Australia. Whiskey works out of Iwantja Arts, an Indigenous owned and governed Aboriginal art centre in Indulkana.
Whiskey’s comic-strip style paintings and joyous video works intertwine pop and Aṉangu culture and often feature recurring cameos of kungka kuṉpu such as Wonder Woman, Tina Turner, Cher and Dolly Parton. It’s a world where local plants and Coca Cola comingle, where Whiskey and her idols hunt and collect bush tucker, and every scene is composed to soundtracks of classic rock, pop and country music. Presented with irreverent humour, Whiskey’s richly layered works are both playful and an empowering insight into contemporary First Nations life.
Late night opening
See Super Kaylene Whiskey after dark during Enlighten.
The exhibition is open after hours from 5:00–8:00pm on 27 & 28 February and 6, 7 & 8 March.
Complement your visit with a bush tucker-flavoured ice cream from Stripey Sundae on site at the Gallery after hours on 27 & 28 February and 6, 7 & 8 March.
Free parking
Underground public car park open from 5:00–11:30 pm. Accessible spaces near lifts. Entry via Parkes Place East. Max vehicle height: 2.2 m.
Accessible facilities
Bathrooms, parents’ room and other amenities available until 11:30 pm.
