Guidance From the Stars

Rachael Sarra's celestial navigation through ancestral wisdom

Above Heritage Lanes, ancient knowledge illuminates contemporary pathways. Rachael Sarra's Guidance from the Stars transforms ceiling space into a vibrant constellation of cultural wisdom, celebrating the sophisticated astronomical knowledge that has guided First Nations peoples for generations.

Celestial Knowledge Systems

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the night sky has always been far more than distant light. It serves as navigation system, seasonal calendar, storytelling canvas, and spiritual guide. From Bulgarra (Pleiades) to the Southern Cross, these celestial markers have guided generations through Country and through life's complexities.

Sarra's artwork captures this profound relationship, showing how ancestral wisdom continues to illuminate pathways forward. The swirling patterns and dynamic colours represent ancient knowledge flowing into contemporary understanding.

About the Artist

Rachael Sarra, a proud First Nations woman from Goreng Goreng Country, believes art and design are essential to communication, connection, and cultural continuity. Her practice weaves traditional knowledge with contemporary expression, creating bridges between ancestral wisdom and modern understanding.

Through bold colours and dynamic forms, Rachael invites us to see the world through perspectives shaped by tens of thousands of years of cultural knowledge.

Universal Guidance

"The sky serves as guidance regardless of cultural background," Rachael explains. "I wanted to create space where everyone could find their place in this narrative."

The artwork speaks to humanity's universal need for direction while celebrating the specific sophistication of First Nations astronomical knowledge. In challenging times, ancestral guidance becomes prominent. In confident moments, that wisdom remains present, constant, and available.

Your Journey Beneath the Stars

Moving through this space, you walk beneath generations of accumulated knowledge. The digital installation shifts and flows, with prominent elements representing moments when guidance becomes essential, and subtler variations showing wisdom's constant presence.

This artwork changes with your experience – some days offering gentle background beauty, other days demanding attention and connection. Like the stars themselves, it reminds us we are part of something vast, ancient, and continuing.

Through Rachael's vision, celestial wisdom becomes accessible, beautiful, and profoundly meaningful.

Heritage Lanes celebrates First Nations cultures through our permanent art collection, bush tucker garden, and Storytelling Disks that share the rich history of Meanjin.

Discover our First Nations heritage

Heritage Lanes acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate and pays respect to Elders past and present. We honour the rich cultural heritage that continues to thrive and evolve.