In its 10th year of presenting the most outstanding work by South Australian Aboriginal artists, Our Mob will celebrate its biggest exhibition yet at the Adelaide Festival Centre in October 2015.
This year, Our Mob will also be a part of the highly anticipated inaugural TARNANTHI Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia.
With more than 200 entries, this year’s Our Mob main exhibition promises to present the most impressive array of work by South Australian Indigenous artists yet. Works across a range of media including photography, weaving, paint on canvas, sculpture and more will explore a vast array of themes including relationship to land, wildlife, politics, Aboriginal cultures and many others.
From James Tylor’s striking black and white photographs to Damien Shen’s stunning portraiture, Joylene Haynes’ evocative light painting and beautiful paintings of country from many remote regions, there’ll be something to suit all tastes at Our Mob. As always, most artworks will be for sale, with prices to fit all budgets.
Last year’s Don Dunstan Foundation Our Mob Emerging Artist prize winner (and 2015 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award finalist) Anna Dowling will present her own solo exhibition, Ripple Effect in the Festival Theatre Foyer. Employing a delicate and incredibly detailed ink on paper method, Anna’s work explores themes of family, memory and identity with a monochromatic palette and a style that is unmistakably individual.
“After submitting my artwork to Our Mob and winning the Don Dunstan Our Mob Emerging Artist prize, I have felt supported and sincerely encouraged to continue creating art and developing as an artist,” said Anna Dowling.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural Our Mob Contemporary exhibition curated by Coby Edgar, Debra Rankine (who was the recipient of last year’s Country Arts SA Regional Emerging Artist Professional Development prize) has taken the curatorial reigns this year to select work for Our Mob Contemporary: Old and New – Unbroken Threads of Ngarrindjeri Tradition.
Participating artists Alice Abdulla, Ellen Trevorrow, Debra Rankine, Stephanie Russell and other Ngarrindjeri artists have made new artworks to show the contrast of an evolving culture that still remains true to its traditional roots. “This collection of artworks is more than an art exhibition – it is a story, our story, the Ngarrindjeri story,” said Rankine.
Our Young Mob will again celebrate young artists of the future in the Festival Theatre Foyer. This year’s exhibition is bursting at the seams with the work of talented kids, and the Our Young Mob prize from Ananguku Arts will provide art supplies for the winner to continue to develop their skills.
For the first time in 2015, Our Mob will include a wearable art parade as part of the opening night celebrations. The parade will feature incredible creations from Ngarrindjeri artists at Camp Coorong, which will then form part of the Our Mob Contemporary exhibition. There will also be an exciting new $2,000 People’s Choice Prize from Flinders University and Yunggorendi, allowing the public to vote for their favourite.
Our Mob runs at the Adelaide Festival Centre from 10 October to 6 December 2015. For more information and complete program, visit: www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au for details.
Image: Anna Dowling