New exhibition celebrates Griffith’s female artists

Photo credit: David Kelly. Supplied by the Museum of Brisbane.

A new exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane showcases the work of generations of talented female artists from Griffith University.

New Woman, which runs until 15 March, celebrates artistic Brisbane women over the past 100 years and features a stunning collection of work from Queensland College of Art lecturers and alumni.

The roll call of Griffith artists featured in the exhibition is significant, from internationally renowned alumni like Tracey Moffatt and Davida Allen to lecturers including Pat Hoffie, Jay Younger, Julie Fragar and Bianca Beetson and recent graduates like Monica Rohan, Carol McGregor, Fiona Foley and Elisa Jane Carmichael.

Griffith University is the largest lender of works to the exhibition: a dozen of the works featured in the show come from the Griffith University Art Collection.

Dr Beetson is program director for Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art at the Queensland College of Art (QCA). Her 2017 work Warrior Woman Bonyi is featured in the exhibition – a self-portrait in which she wears a crown of thorns made of Bunya leaves.

Dr Beetson said the New Woman exhibition was part of an effort to increase representation of female artists in major galleries around the country.

“I’ve been an outspoken advocate for better representation for female artists,” she said.

“We’ve made huge leaps and bounds, but we’ve still got a way to go – exhibitions like this are an important way to redress the balance.”

Dr Carol McGregor undertook a Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art (CAIA) at the QCA, and recently finished her Doctor of Visual Art. Her possum-skin cloak features in the New Woman exhibition – a collaborative artwork that involved her fellow CAIA students and lecturers.

Dr McGregor said she was proud to be part of a community of strong, female artists at the Queensland College of Art.

“Many of the artists featured in this exhibition have a link to the QCA – it’s fantastic,” she said.

“I am honoured and proud to be part of an amazing community of female artists at the QCA – you feel so supported here.”

New Woman is at the Museum of Brisbane until March 15, 2020.