Don’t miss the inspiring one-day event – Art Activism by Great Women Conference presented by Lerida Estate and aMBUSH Gallery – being held on Sunday 28 March at Kambri at ANU, as part of the successful HERE I AM: Art by Great Women festival.
Gathering four prominent female artists from around Australia – Aretha Brown, Kaff-eine, Jane Gillings, and Claire Martin – the women will discuss their art and area of activism, sharing powerful ideas, diverse perspectives and inspiring action.
The ticketed conference will run from 2.00pm to 7.00pm and comprises individual artist talks and Q&A sessions, followed by a group panel discussion and Q&A moderated by Genevieve Jacobs, an afternoon tea, and finishing with an hour-long networking and wine tasting (courtesy of Lerida Estate) in aMBUSH Gallery.
The event is a celebration of these game-changing Australian women who use art to speak out about the change they wish to make in the world, and have overcome barriers to pursue their goals. It is presented by Kambri at ANU and curated and produced by aMBUSH Gallery.
“HERE I AM: Art by Great Women has been an incredible opportunity to showcase the world class talent we have in Australia from multiple creative disciplines, and this conference is yet another opportunity to showcase and celebrate the efforts made by artists to bring awareness and justice to important causes affecting humanity,” said Bill Dimas, the co-founder of aMBUSH Gallery.
“Activism stems from care and love, and is service to others. The women featured in the conference have done great service to others through important work that will inspire and awaken everyone’s spirit so we may become better versions of ourselves.”
Aretha Brown
Aretha is a strong Gumbaynggirr woman who describes herself as a “painter, decolonizer, dreamboat”. In 2017, she delivered an impassioned speech at the Invasion Day Rally in Melbourne, fighting to make Indigenous history education mainstream. Aretha’s delivery and ideas lead her to be elected as Prime Minister of the National Indigenous Youth Parliament, the youngest person – and the first woman – to hold this position. She is committed to creating pathways to champion young mob. Aretha is also an accomplished artist who has shown works at the National Gallery of Victoria and is currently studying painting at the Victorian College of the Arts.
Claire Martin
Claire began her career in Social Work, but changed her focus to photography when she realised that change can also be effected through this medium. She has since focused her lens on marginalised communities within prosperous nations, creating works that blend the genres of documentary, art and photography. The impact behind Claire’s photographs comes from her critical analysis of sociocultural and ecological relationships, and her drive to simplify and communicate these ideas to the public through complex and bold single images.
Kaff-eine
Melbourne-based lawyer turned street artist Kaff-eine combines creativity with a strong social conscience, making art and film projects with communities around the world and inviting audiences to engage with social and political issues. Kaff-eine’s recent projects include the collaborative Phoenix and Happyland art exhibitions, installations and award-winning documentaries with residents living in Manila’s notorious dumpsite slums, and Infinite Thanks – a travelling participatory exhibition about LGBTQI gratitude, honouring rainbow deities and sharing LGBTQI stories of thankfulness.
Jane Gillings
Jane is a multidisciplinary artist with over thirty years of experience as an exhibiting, practicing artist and educator. Her work ranges from large-scale sculptural installations to detailed drawings, which often reflects her relationship with the planet and deep connection with the small community in which she lives. As an educator, Jane has worked with at-risk people, those with different abilities, mental health issues, homelessness and drug and alcohol issues. She currently runs weekly art sessions in her home studio for school aged children, as well as occasional free community art sessions.
Art Activism by Great Women Conference is one of the closing events of the HERE I AM: Art by Great Women festival, inspired by the Know My Name movement and in a cultural partnership between Kambri at ANU, aMBUSH Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia.
The conference will be opened with a Welcome to Country by Wally Bell, Ngunnawal man and Chair of the Buru Ngunnawal Aboriginal Corporation, with an introduction by Bill Dimas, Co-Director of aMBUSH Gallery. The event will be organised in compliance with ANU guidelines and ACT Government COVID-19 restrictions.
Art Activism by Great Women Conference
Kambri Cultural Centre
Event: Sunday 28 March 2021 (2.00pm – 7.00pm)
Bookings: www.eventbrite.com.au
For more information, visit: www.kambri.com.au for details.
Image: Aretha Brown (photo by Tatanja Ross), Claire Martin (supplied), Jane Gillings (photo by David Benson) and Kaff-eine (photo by Nicole Reed)