Over the weekend winners of the 2024 Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award were announced with both open and youth art being recognised.
Ashleigh Ralph, Gallery Director, is proud that Lismore Regional Gallery has the support of the Koori Mail to deliver this award, said, ‘it is a testament to the incredible talent and creativity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, providing a platform to showcase a selection of powerful and diverse artistic expression.’
With around 80 entries guest judge Rebecca Ray said, ‘ it has been a difficult task to shortlist finalists due to the remarkable calibre and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual languages and culture within contemporary art. Featuring works from artists based in remote Country to urban city mob and the Zenadth Kes, the artworks presented highlight the diversity of Indigenous cultural expression, identity, and story.’
The winner of the major non-acquisitive $10,000 Koori Mail Art Award is Penny Evans for ‘The Elephant’ 2024. Rebecca noted that the work presents ceramics as vessels of resilience, ‘they are more than objects; they are acts of resistance, storytelling, and reclamation. Each piece tells a story of survival and strength… By fusing traditional practices of Gomeroi mark making with contemporary politics, such as the Referendum, this body of work is both timeless and fiercely relevant.’
The winner of the $3,000 Innovation Award is Damien Shen ‘Entombed’ in Joy 2024.
The winner of the $500 Friends of the Gallery Youth Award is Aria Kitchener ‘Born to Revolt’ 2023. Rebecca noted that digital art has become a transformative tool for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, offering a platform to assert cultural identity, share stories and challenge colonial narratives.
The Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award is a biannual award hosted at Lismore Regional Gallery, proudly sponsored by The Koori Mail. The shortlisted works are on exhibition at Lismore Regional Gallery until 2 February 2025.
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