Rites of Passage - Ed Koumans

Exhibition: Fri 14 Nov 2025 - Sat 24 Jan 2026
Launch: 5:30pm, Fri 14 Nov

In worldwide cultures, rites of passage are markers of birth, of reaching adulthood, getting married, elderhood, and death. Cairns artist, Ed Koumans, has been making art for six decades and this exhibition marks his elder status and celebrates his prolific oeuvre.

Human rituals and ceremonies are key subjects of Koumans’ work, his observations interpreted through an artist-as-anthropologist's eye. Collectors of Koumans’ art in this region and further afield value the exuberance and wry wit of his themes. Thanks to these collectors’ generosity in lending their assemblages, ritual figures, body adornments, drawings, paintings and textiles, a lifetime of art making is on display here.

Cultural rites of passage are most valuable for connecting individuals to their communities. Ed Koumans’ work resonates with his regional audience and highlights the significance of life’s milestones.