William Yang’s work reveals unsettling narratives in his own life

William Yang’s work, intimate and considered, draws on the artist’s own lived experience. Yang’s personal stories inform his spoken-word performances and photography, and he often scribes these stories directly onto his photographic prints. Drawn to people, Yang’s work reveals unsettling narratives in his own life, in the lives of his subjects, and in society. Adept…

Unfinished Business: The Art of Gordon Bennett

The art and legacy of Gordon Bennett (1955–2014), one of Australia’s most influential contemporary artists, will be on show at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) from 7 November 2020 to 21 March 2021. ‘Unfinished Business: The Art of Gordon Bennett’ celebrates the Queensland-based artist’s globally recognised contribution to contemporary art. The exhibition showcases Bennett’s…

National Wattle Day: A celebration of a floral emblem

In 1988, the year of Australia’s bicentenary, the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) was officially gazetted as Australia’s national floral emblem, enjoying a popular acceptance as the national flower long before then. We’ve been celebrating the Wattle for different reasons over the last century, and in 2020 for the first time, Brisbane is lighting up in…

Daniel Boyd , Kudjla/Gangalu people , Australia b.1982 / Untitled (HNDFWMIAFN) (detail) 2017

In Daniel Boyd’s works, Australian history is re-told

Daniel Boyd, born in Cairns, Queensland, is an artist of both Aboriginal and South Sea Islander heritage, whose works often deal with the complexity of the history of South Sea Islander labour in Queensland and its legacy. This is one of our state’s most important historical narratives, with some 62 000 labourers brought to Queensland…

Aurukun Camp dogs

Wood carving is an important ceremonial art in Aurukun, a town and coastal locality in western Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland. Major sets of carved icons used in public ceremonies in the 1950s and 60s have been collected and are now housed in Australia’s major museums. The renaissance of art in the community has centred…