Expanding Country: a conversation with Maree Clarke

Co-organised with CAST as part of A/Prof Khan’s VC Fellowship and Care and Repair: Rethinking Contemporary Curation for Conditions of Crisis (DP240102206), a joint research project between Monash University and RMIT University funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council. 

Maree Clarke is a Yora Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung artist dedicated to the revival and continuation of southeast Australian Aboriginal cultural practices.  

Growing up in Mildura and now based in Melbourne, Clarke has spent over three decades reclaiming and reinterpreting traditions lost or lying dormant due to invisation/colonisation. Her work spans possum skin cloaks, kangaroo teeth and echidna quill adornments, and large-scale river reed necklaces, using both traditional and contemporary materials, organic,  glass and 3D printing. Through multimedia installations—including photography, sculpture, and video—she explores stories, ceremonies, and the ongoing impact of colonisation. Clarke’s collaborative and intergenerational practice ensures cultural knowledge is passed on while engaging new audiences. Clarke has exhibited nationally and internationally, including a major survey show Ancestral Memories at the National Gallery of Victoria (2021). Recent commissions include for the Metro Tunnel, narrm ngarrgu Library, Footscray Hospital, and the City of Melbourne Stolen Generations Marker. Clarke was also awarded artist residencies in Florence, Italy 2024, Museum of Glass in Tecoma and Pilchuck Glass School in the USA2023. She has received numerous accolades, including the Melbourne Prize for Urban Sculpture (2023) and the Australia Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Fellowship (2020). 

"My art is about regenerating cultural practices... we haven’t lost anything; some of these practices have just been lying dormant."—Maree Clarke 

Maree will be joined in conversation with Associate Professor Rimi Khan, Vice Chancellor’s Principal Research Fellow in the School of Fashion and Textiles. Rimi is a researcher and educator specialising in the cultural and creative industries. Her work explores cultural sustainability and diversity politics in the fields of fashion, art and creative labour. 

The talk will be followed by refreshments.

RMIT is committed to providing inclusive and accessible facilities and experiences for our community. Please indicate by emailing cast@rmit.edu.au if you have any accessibility requirements or would benefit from any adjustments at the event.  

Learn more about our commitments and achievements to support diversity and inclusion at https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-values/diversity-and-inclusion    

About Care and Repair 

Care and Repair: Rethinking Contemporary Curation for Conditions of Crisis (DP240102206) is a joint research project between Monash University and RMIT University funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council. 

Website: https://curatingcarerepair.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curatingcarerepair