Two Laws One Big Spirit
Peter Adsett and Rusty Peters
20 June - 16 August 2026 Main Gallery
‘Two Laws One Big Spirit’ are the words used by the late Gija artist Rusty Peters, to describe the profound connection between himself and Aotearoa/New Zealand artist Peter Adsett. The two artists shared a love of painting, and despite their disparate worlds, they had an affinity with their approach to making art.
In early 2000, the artists spent an intensive period of two weeks creating work at Adsett’s home in Humpty Doo, south of Darwin. Together, they set formal parameters for how they would work, including the scale and format of their paintings, and their use of a restricted palette of black, white, and red. They painted on alternate days for fourteen days with each painting in the series being completed in a day.
The fourteen paintings created during this time reflect the deep respect and admiration the two artists had for one another. Their trust in each other enabled their individual spirits to guide and lead the dialogue between them through the medium and language of painting.
This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of South Australia and supported by Metal Manufacturers Electrical Merchandising.
Education kit
An educational resource has been developed by The Riddoch to accompany Two Laws One Big Spirit. Please download to engage your students with the exhibition.
For more educational offerings visit: For Educators – The Riddoch
