The Royal Academy presents ‘Oceania’, an exhibition of over 200 objects from the Oceanic region, some dating back to the 18th century. The show explores the important themes of voyage, placemaking and encounter, while also celebrating the powerful art of the indigenous populations Captain James Cook and his crew encountered 250 years ago, when they set out in search of “terra australis incognita” - the unknown southern continent.

Oceania continues the RA’s tradition of hosting outstanding exhibitions exploring world cultures, which have included Africa: The Art of a Continent (1995), Aztecs (2002), Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years (2005), China: The Three Emperors, 1662-1795 (2005) Byzantium 330-1453 (2008) and Bronze (2012).

Oceania has been organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Paris, with the participation of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge.

The exhibition will run from the 29th of September to the 10th of December. Oceania is ticketed for the general public, however entry to the exhibition is free for New Zealand and Pacific Island passport holders.