‘The Mission’ by Michael Cook traces the journey of an Aboriginal woman from her homeland to a Christian mission where she arrives in handcuffs. There, she is introduced to Western clothing, food rations, tobacco, and a husband. Her baby is stolen following a Christian wedding. In the final image she is represented returning to her Country, which the artist says is a symbol of ‘the hope for a future in which the resilience and dreams of Aboriginal people remain unbroken against the odds.’

Michael Cook, The Mission (Heading to a better life), 2011, inkjet print, 124 x 100cm. Donated by the artist under the Australian Government Cultural Gifts Program, 2015. Courtesy the artist and Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania
Tasmanian Museum and Gallery
Until 3 March, 2019
Tasmania