Beneath this Skin – Artist Talk

Join us for a captivating artist talk with the creators of the works for Beneath This Skin sharing insights into their artistic journey and the exploration of identity.

Contemporary Australian Indigenous artists Arabella Walker, Chelsea Carkeet, Desert-Rain Magpie, Paula Vi Dover, Rachel Bywaters and Sarah Zalewski will delve into the inspiration behind their works, and explore the narratives woven within the exhibition.

Beneath this Skin

Beneath This Skin is an exhibition presented in partnership with Queensland College of Art and Design, Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art.

Six incredible contemporary Australian Indigenous artists have created works in response to the records and histories found in the collection at Queensland State Archives. The works explore the theme of identity and what lies beneath the surface of our skin.

Beneath This Skin is available to view now through to Monday 3 June 2024 at Queensland State Archives.

Artists

• Arabella Walker (Wulli Wulli)

Arabella Walker is an emerging female contemporary Aboriginal artist from a maternal line of Wulli Wulli, Auburn Hawkwood People. Arabella’s practice conveys significant topics of First Nations histories with a focus on the challenge of being an Aboriginal woman living in the Colony.

• Chelsea Carkeet (Wagiman)

Chelsea Carkeet is a Proud Wagiman person with kinship connections to Gulumerridjin (Larrakia) and Yanyuwa Country. Currently they live and create on the land of the Yuggera and Turrbal peoples. Their art practice, which is grounded in drawing theory, speaks to the notion of unravelling truth and deceit through materiality.

• Desert-Rain Magpie (Noongar)

Desert-Rain Magpie is a Noongar woman from South-West Western Australia currently living and raising a family on Kombumerri Country in the Gold Coast. She is a First Nations Artist practicing in textiles and visual arts with a passion for working with parents and children to strengthen cultural identity.

• Paula Vi Dover (Kunja)

Paula Vi Dover is a descendant of Kunja people, Cunnamulla. Born on Yugambeh country, shehas lived on the Gold Coast all of her life. As a mother of five children and seven grandchildren, cultural connection and identity is very important to Paula Vi Dover.

Paula Vi Dover is a First Nations Artist and practices many different mediums of art. Weaving, design, textiles, digital, print, painting, sketching and ceramics, are a few of the mediums she practices. With a passion for speaking truth and storytelling, she has built a large portfolio of digital art where story telling through words connects to visualisation of digital art on social media platforms.

Currently Paula Vi is completing her Bachelors of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art at Griffith as a mature age student.

• Rachel Bywaters (Gamilaroi)

Rachel Bywaters is a descendent of the peoples of the Gamilaroi nation and has bloodlines to England, Ireland and Scotland.

After a career in the Community Services sector, Bywaters is pursuing her passion for creative expression and storytelling at the acclaimed Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art program at Griffith Queensland College of Art and Design.

Central to her multidisciplinary practise is the innovative use of found objects and societal artefacts to express socio-political issues and decolonising perspectives.

Rachel lives on Kabi Kabi country. She is passionate about supporting her local community on Yarun (Bribie Island) through her work with the Pumicestone Indigenous Education and Employment Council.

• Sarah Zalewski (Migunberri)

Sarah Zalewski is a proud Migunberri women living and raising her family on the neighbouring lands of the Mununjali peoples.

Sarah is a multidisciplinary artist working across many mediums but particularly enjoys print making. Through her practice Sarah explores her cultural identity and family history.

Exhibition content warning:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are advised that some of the events or people present in the works may be from their community and ancestors. Content will contain names, images or recordings of people that have since passed. While engaging with this content you may hear or see violent or racist content. Some content contains terms and attitudes reflective of the period in which the event occurred and may be considered inappropriate today.