image credit: Maree Clarke The Long Journey Home 9 2024, digital print on photographic paper
Bringing family together in a special exhibition on Country, Generations: connections to Country exhibits recent and contemporary works by celebrated artists Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti, Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta, Boonwurrung), Mitch Mahoney (Boonwurrung / Barkindji), Jarra Karalinar Steel (Boonwurrung, Wemba Wemba and Trawlwoolway), Kylie Clarke (Boon Wurrung, Mutti Mutti, Wemba Wemba, Nukunu, Kokatha and Dharug), Molly Mahoney (Boonwurrung, Wemba Wemba, Barkindji) and Kerri Clarke (Boonwurrung, Wemba Wemba).
Featuring contemporary glass sculptures, photography, video, weaving, screenprints and possum skin cloaks, displayed throughout the galleries and across the Kingston Arts Precinct on Kingston’s new, outdoor lightbox gallery and nightly outdoor projections.
Kingston Arts Outdoor Gallery
Located outside the Kingston Arts Centre in Moorabbin, these newly installed illuminated lightboxes transforms the streetscape into a vibrant, around-the-clock exhibition space. During the exhibition, photographs from Maree Clarke's The Long Journey Home series will be visible day and night. These installations invite passers-by to engage with contemporary art in a unique, accessible setting — a testament to the idea that art never sleeps.
This outdoor gallery will be on display until 15 October 2025.
image credit: Maree Clarke The Long Journey Home 6 2024, digital print on photographic paper
Artists
Maree Clarke
Learn more about Maree Clarke
Maree Clarke is a pivotal figure in the reclamation of southeast Australian Aboriginal art practices, reviving elements of Aboriginal culture that were lost – or laying dormant – over the period of colonisation, as well as a leader in nurturing and promoting the diversity of contemporary southeast Aboriginal artists.
Maree’s continuing desire to affirm and reconnect with her cultural heritage has seen her revification of the traditional possum skin cloaks, together with the production of contemporary designs of kangaroo teeth necklaces, river reed necklaces and string headbands adorned with kangaroo teeth and echidna quills, in both traditional and contemporary materials such as glass and 3D printing.
Maree Clarke’s multi media installations of photography including lenticular prints, 3D photographs and photographic holograms as well as painting, sculpture and video installation further explore the customary ceremonies, rituals and language of her ancestors and reveal her long held ambitions to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue about the ongoing effects of colonisation, while simultaneously providing space for the Aboriginal community to engage with and ‘mourn’ the impact of dispossession and loss.
Maree is known for her open and collaborative approach to cultural practice. She consistently works in intergenerational collaboration to revive dormant cultural knowledge – and uses technology to bring new audiences to contemporary southeast Aboriginal arts.
Maree Clarke has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally, and in 2021 she was the subject of a major survey exhibition Maree Clarke – Ancestral Memories at the National Gallery of Victoria. Other recent exhibitions includeTarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide (2021), The National, Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney (2021), Reversible Destiny, Tokyo Photographic Museum, Tokyo Japan (2021) and the King Wood Mallesons Contemporary Art Prize, for which she was awarded the Victorian Artist award. In 2020 she was awarded the Linewide Commission for the Metro Tunnel project (current) and is the recipient of the 2020 Australia Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Fellowship.
Courtesy of Vivian Anderson Gallery
Mitch Mahoney
Learn more about Mitch Mahoney
Born in North-West Victoria along the banks of the Murray River, Mitch Mahoney is a Boonwurrung/Barkindji artist who grew up in Mildura and the Hunter Valley. He currently splits his time between Melbourne and regional NSW.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Mitch focuses on the revitalisation of South-Eastern Aboriginal practices, creating cultural items such as possum skin cloaks, traditional stringy bark and red gum canoes, and kangaroo tooth necklaces. He also specialises in line drawings and South-Eastern Aboriginal design. His art reflects his Country and the natural connection he feels to all that it supports, creates and provides, and the ever-changing influence it has on him.
Courtesy of Vivian Anderson Gallery
Jarra Karalinar Steel
Learn more about Jarra Karalinar Steel
Jarra Karalinar Steel is Multidisciplinary artist from Melbourne Australia, based in Melbourne’s south in Euro Yuroke (St Kilda) on Boonwurrung country.
Recently becoming a PhD candidate at RMIT School of Design. A Graduate from RMIT, Master of Arts (Art in public spaces) and The University of Melbourne / Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Production; Costume and prop Design being her main focus of studies.
Jarra was born at QV hospital in Melbourne CBD and raised on country, growing up in community in regional Vic till her family moved back to Melbourne’s Inner North.
Jarra grew up surrounded by the Urban Koorie and Torres Strait Islander, Melbourne artist community in the late 80s and 90’s, which sparked a love for all the creative arts from a very young age. Contributing artists like the late Ellen Jose, Destiny Deacon, Lin Onus and her cousins the late Craig Charles and Peter Clarke as well as Maree Clarke as strong influences in her ambition to be in the creative arts.
Jarra is of the Yaluk-ut Weelam clan of the Boonwurrung, Wemba Wemba, Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway with lines to the Barrup Barrup clans. She also is of English and Scottish descent.
Karalinar is Jarra’s Middle name meaning “wattle tree woman“. Jarra and her twin brother Gheran were gifted their names at birth by their mother’s mentor at the time Gubbi Gubbi Elder Dr. Eve Fesl AM. Jarra and her twin Gheran were amongst some of the first IVF babies born in Melbourne and made the front page news across Australia.
Jarra is a passionate advocate for Self-Representation/determination of Victorian First Peoples Art and Culture and is determined in making sure it is kept alive and thriving.
Jarra has just finished three years as the Rising Melbourne Art Trams curator.
Courtesy of karalinar.com
Kylie Clarke
Learn more about kylie clarke
Kylie is a proud, Boon Wurrung, Mutti Mutti, Wemba Wemba, Nukunu, Kokatha & Dharug woman from Mildura, in the northeast of Victoria. Kylie is currently a Senior Researcher / Genealogist at the Koorie Heritage Trust and a full-time single mother to 10-year-old, Matari and expecting mum of another baby boy.
Kylie’s love of art first came from dance. She has been dancing since she was about 4 in the local Mildura dance group, The Latje-Latje dance group where she learnt all she knows from her late Uncle Peter Clarke. Kylie has continued dancing since then with her family group especially during NAIDOC celebrations around the state. One of her biggest achievements was performing at the opening ceremony of 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Kylie also is an artist in her own right, learning a lot of her practices from her Aunty Maree Clarke & Uncle Peter Clarke. Kylie is currently working on a possum skin cloak for her son, basket weaving, jewellery making and creating dance wear.
She believes passing on her knowledge to her son and all the younger generations through both dance and art is very important to continue to keep her culture alive and strong.
Molly Mahoney
Kerri Clarke
ACCESS
G1, G2 and G3 Galleries are wheelchair accessible and accessible toilets are available.