Hookey points out that he borrows from sources in English, his ‘second’ language, as he does not know his first. His MurriLand paintings depict historical personalities, but Hookey also borrows from literature, with George Orwell’s 1945 novel Animal Farm inspiring him to see Europeans as introduced animals, and from popular culture, giving rise to the Aboriginal superwoman Bitumen Barbie and the resistance figure Fruit Flea. Gordon Hookey is an inspired jokester motivated by serious intent: he lays out the histories of Aboriginal Australia in fantastical satires. In one long standing project, Ah Kee reclaims his family history by re-drawing photographs taken of extended family members in the 1930s by anthropologist Norman Tindale AO, and making tender portraits of living family members. It engages in the continuing struggles by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples against political practices, state regulations, intellectual constructs, and regular violence that continue to affect their daily lives.

Ah Kee’s art is always personal in its sources and effects. About the speakers Vernon Ah Kee pursues a powerful critique of the racism embedded in Australian society through a range of artistic media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, video and installation. Sourris AM Collection of Artist Interviews. The exhibition is curated by Julie Ewington, an authority on contemporary Australian art, showcasing the James C.

Meet the artists exhibition will be open late for viewing prior to the talk in slq Gallery, level 2 About the exhibition Meet the artists features contemporary works by Vernon Ah Kee, Luke Roberts, Fiona Foley, Judith Wright, Leonard Brown, Anne Wallace, Sandra Selig, and Eugene Carchesio, along with screenings of all 35 James C. Can't make it in person? Join us online from home, tune in via live stream. Register to join us onsite and be part of this exciting event. Cheryl Leavy will lead the conversation delving into the collective’s residency plans and upcoming work. The prize was awarded following the OCCURRENT AFFAIR exhibition which was originally held at the UQ Art Museum in 2021, currently touring Australia in partnership with Museums & Galleries NSW.

The collective is off to New York later this year after winning the 2022–2024 Jane Lombard Prize for Art and Social Justice. Collectively, they are an Australian success story. The late founding member Laurie Nilsen is today represented by his daughter, Lily Eather. Current members include Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Richard Bell, Megan Cope, Jennifer Herd, and Gordon Hookey. The collective was founded in 2003 and formalised in 2004, and since this time has mounted several exhibitions around the country. proppaNOW is a collective for Indigenous Australian artists in Queensland, aiming to counter cultural stereotypes and give a voice to urban artists. Join us in conversation with Vernon Ah Kee and Gordon Hookey, two members of the Brisbane-based innovative Aboriginal artist collective proppaNOW. Take a walk through kuril dhagun and explore State Library’s collection stories of Aboriginal stockmen and stockwomen, the role of Aboriginal trade routes in establishing Queensland’s pastoral industry, the experiences of working on cattle stations, Aboriginal-run rodeos, and the fight for equal pay and land rights. Despite these tough working conditions, Aboriginal people often sought out this type of work in return for safety, protection and to remain connected to Country. The oppressive practices of indentured servitude, theft and rationing of wages was common practice, resulting in Aboriginal people working in extremely harsh conditions for little or no pay. The movement of cattle, sheep and horses became the cornerstone of the colonial economy, and during this time, Aboriginal people were highly sought-after stockmen and women, making up more than half the total labourers of the pastoral industry by 1886.

With their connection, knowledge and understanding of this land, Aboriginal people played an integral part in establishing Queensland’s pastoral industry. In a time of upheaval and devastation to land and family life from the colonial invasion, working Country was a means of survival.

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