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Projects
Bibi Barba is more than an acclaimed Indigenous artist - she is a storyteller, teacher and educator to Indigenous Art, Language & Culture. Through her art, she paints the language of her ancestors, weaving together traditions, symbols, and narratives that speak to identity, belonging, and the deep connection between people and Country.
As a passionate cultural ambassador, Bibi advocates for the recognition and preservation of Indigenous art and language, inspiring audiences to both celebrate and protect the world’s oldest living culture. Her work stands as a powerful reminder that art is not just something we see, it is something we inherit, share, and carry forward.
Yarning Circle
More about this primary school activity coming soon ...
Liverpool Health
Striking Indigenous art installation on new car park
The new car park features the largest scale artwork commissioned by NSW Health, designed by internationally acclaimed local Indigenous artist Bibi Barba.
Ms Barba said the artwork has been inspired by the rich Aboriginal history of the region.
“I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to pay tribute to the local region’s rich environmental and cultural history through my art, which involved working closely with the local Aboriginal community,” Ms Barba said.
The $790 million Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct includes integrated cancer services, expansion of critical care services, including an expanded Emergency Department, as well as enhanced maternity and paediatric services.
The new car park will support Liverpool’s first-class health, research, and education precinct, which will transform healthcare services for the rapidly growing communities of South-Western Sydney.
The artwork is part of the Arts in Health Program being delivered by Health Infrastructure in partnership with Local Health Districts, artists, and communities as part of NSW Health’s record $11.9 billion capital works program to 2025-26.
The NSW Government has invested more than $1.5 billion into four major redevelopment projects across the South Western Sydney Local Health District, with a further $1.3 billion commitment for a new Bankstown Hospital.
The NSW Government is investing a record $11.9 billion in health infrastructure over the coming four years to 2025-26 and continues its unprecedented construction of new hospitals and upgrades across NSW.
The new car park features the largest scale artwork commissioned by NSW Health, designed by internationally acclaimed local Indigenous artist Bibi Barba.
Ms Barba said the artwork has been inspired by the rich Aboriginal history of the region.
“I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to pay tribute to the local region’s rich environmental and cultural history through my art, which involved working closely with the local Aboriginal community,” Ms Barba said.
The $790 million Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct includes integrated cancer services, expansion of critical care services, including an expanded Emergency Department, as well as enhanced maternity and paediatric services.
The new car park will support Liverpool’s first-class health, research, and education precinct, which will transform healthcare services for the rapidly growing communities of South-Western Sydney.
The artwork is part of the Arts in Health Program being delivered by Health Infrastructure in partnership with Local Health Districts, artists, and communities as part of NSW Health’s record $11.9 billion capital works program to 2025-26.
The NSW Government has invested more than $1.5 billion into four major redevelopment projects across the South Western Sydney Local Health District, with a further $1.3 billion commitment for a new Bankstown Hospital.
The NSW Government is investing a record $11.9 billion in health infrastructure over the coming four years to 2025-26 and continues its unprecedented construction of new hospitals and upgrades across NSW.
Yarnu School
More about this primary school program coming soon ...
Stolen in Poland
In 2010, Bibi Barba googled herself and accidently came across a website from Poland whereby an interior designer was talking about her designs for the Eclipse hotel in Domaslaw Poland. But in fact it wasn't her designs at all, they belonged to Bibi Barba; an indigenous artist who lives on the other side of the world in Sydney. It was her art work titled Desert Flower that was now adorning every room in the 44 room hotel. Ewa Smuga, (the Interior designer) stated her work was “inspired by Bibi Barba “. However, her “inspired designs” were exact replicas of Bibi’s Desert flower.
Bibi embarked on an impossible 7 year legal battle to try and seek some sort of acknowledgement and compensation from both Ewa Smuga and the Hotel. It was a pointless exercise that was costing Bibi time and money to wait for the courts in Poland to hear her case. During this period, Bibi was invited to join UN-WIPO. (The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva) She is part of an international Indigenous Caucus, that has, for the last 25 years, been deliberating over a treaty that will become an International Legislation, protecting all Indigenous IP. In September last year, the caucus finally agreed on a version of the treaty, which meant when they reconvened on the 24th May 2024, the Caucus members would finalise negotiations with 192 nations and then those Diplomatic Ambassadors will gather at The United Nations in Geneva and officially sign off on the treaty, making it a new international law. This will finally give Artists around the world peace of mind, knowing that their work is protected and will stop people around the world from stealing their IP.
We filmed this historic moment and Bibi was instrumental in the negotiations, so much so they fondly called it The Bibi Treaty and the head of WIPO asked if they could use another of Bibi’s paintings that hangs on the wall of WIPO, titled The Gathering of Nations, to use on the front of the Treaty. History made!
https://www.copyright.com.au/bibi/
https://nationalaboriginaldesignagency.com.au/news-media/hotel-designer-denies-copying-aboriginal-paintings/
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/the-point/article/indigenous-artist-faces-uphill-legal-battle-after-polish-hotel-allegedly-stole-her-art/mn98jjwyc
https://littonlegal.com.au/blog/indigenous-cultural-intellectual-property-naidoc-week-2021/
Bibi embarked on an impossible 7 year legal battle to try and seek some sort of acknowledgement and compensation from both Ewa Smuga and the Hotel. It was a pointless exercise that was costing Bibi time and money to wait for the courts in Poland to hear her case. During this period, Bibi was invited to join UN-WIPO. (The United Nations World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva) She is part of an international Indigenous Caucus, that has, for the last 25 years, been deliberating over a treaty that will become an International Legislation, protecting all Indigenous IP. In September last year, the caucus finally agreed on a version of the treaty, which meant when they reconvened on the 24th May 2024, the Caucus members would finalise negotiations with 192 nations and then those Diplomatic Ambassadors will gather at The United Nations in Geneva and officially sign off on the treaty, making it a new international law. This will finally give Artists around the world peace of mind, knowing that their work is protected and will stop people around the world from stealing their IP.
We filmed this historic moment and Bibi was instrumental in the negotiations, so much so they fondly called it The Bibi Treaty and the head of WIPO asked if they could use another of Bibi’s paintings that hangs on the wall of WIPO, titled The Gathering of Nations, to use on the front of the Treaty. History made!
https://www.copyright.com.au/bibi/
https://nationalaboriginaldesignagency.com.au/news-media/hotel-designer-denies-copying-aboriginal-paintings/
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/the-point/article/indigenous-artist-faces-uphill-legal-battle-after-polish-hotel-allegedly-stole-her-art/mn98jjwyc
https://littonlegal.com.au/blog/indigenous-cultural-intellectual-property-naidoc-week-2021/
500 Terry Francois Street
San Francisco, CA 94158
Tel: 123-456-7890
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