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Culture

‘Blak In-Justice: Incarceration and Resilience’ Exhibition Opens in Melbourne

Julie Dowling, The Visit, 2002, synthetic polymer paint, red ochre, glitter and metallic paint on canvas, 59.8 x 50 cm, The State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Gift of Brigitte Braun 2017, Copyright 2025 Photo: Bo Wong. Image courtesy of AGWA

A new art exhibition in Melbourne calls attention to Indigenous incarceration in Australia. It’s on from April to July 2025 at Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne.

The art works address the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system and the crisis of deaths in custody. Their powerful responses are shown alongside the remarkable creative achievements of former and current incarcerated people in The Torch program.

Curator Kent Morris said the exhibition is a “call to action”, a way to raise awareness of the mass incarceration of First Nations people but also to shine a light on what is being achieved to break the cycle of Indigenous imprisonment. The exhibition hopes that visitors to the exhibition become alive to the humanity behind the statistics and to see how connection to art and culture has provided pathways to healing and self-determination.

Robert Campbell Jnr, Death inCustody, 1987, acrylic on canvas, 81 x120 cm,
Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery, Sydney

Trevor Nickolls, Brush with the Lore 2010, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 199.5 x 182.5 x 2 cm,
Art Gallery of South Australia, acquisition through Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art supported by BHP 2018, ©Estate of Trevor Nickolls/Copyright Agency, 2024

A new art exhibition in Melbourne calls attention to Indigenous incarceration in Australia. It’s on from April to July 2025 at Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne.

The art works address the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system and the crisis of deaths in custody. Their powerful responses are shown alongside the remarkable creative achievements of former and current incarcerated people in The Torch program.

Curator Kent Morris said the exhibition is a “call to action”, a way to raise awareness of the mass incarceration of First Nations people but also to shine a light on what is being achieved to break the cycle of Indigenous imprisonment. The exhibition hopes that visitors to the exhibition become alive to the humanity behind the statistics and to see how connection to art and culture has provided pathways to healing and self-determination.

Robert Campbell Jnr, Death inCustody, 1987, acrylic on canvas, 81 x120 cm,
Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley 9 Gallery, Sydney

Trevor Nickolls, Brush with the Lore 2010, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 199.5 x 182.5 x 2 cm,
Art Gallery of South Australia, acquisition through Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art supported by BHP 2018, ©Estate of Trevor Nickolls/Copyright Agency, 2024
This
article
was originally printed in the
May 2025
edition of About Time.

King 810: Music for Hard Times

King 810: Music for Hard Times

King 810: Music for Hard Times

By Stacey Stokes
By Stacey Stokes

King 810, a nu metal band from the USA, toured Australia in March. I went, and a lot of other criminals went too. There was even a few reintegration officers spotted in the crowd. Simply because, they strike a chord… with those who have lived hardship.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 23

2 MIN READ

Artists With Conviction Celebrates 15 Years!

Artists With Conviction Celebrates 15 Years!

Artists With Conviction Celebrates 15 Years!

By Sara
By Sara

Prison is a noisy place, yet at Risdon Prison, in Tasmania – nestled near bushland and close to the Risdon Brook Dam – the sounds of nature still break through. Despite the din, the calls of native birds are unmistakable.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 15

2 MIN READ

Australia’s First Picture Book About Parents in Prison

Australia’s First Picture Book About Parents in Prison

Australia’s First Picture Book About Parents in Prison

By Jacqueline Dinan
By Jacqueline Dinan

A new children’s book addresses the incarceration of parents. It’s titled My Dad’s Gone Away and was written by Andrew Krakouer and Jacqueline Dinan.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 15

2 MIN READ

Bread Pudding With a Difference

By Mark

Bread pudding from behind bars.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 25

2 MIN READ

Banoffee

By Edward

A recipe for banoffee from inside.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 25

2 MIN READ

Apple Crumble for Under $2 a Serve

By Edward

Place Scotch Fingers into a large container and use a peanut butter jar (lid part) to crush the biscuits. Add plum jam for a richer flavour.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 25

2 MIN READ

Beyond the Bars: 25 Years of Prison Radio

By Areej Nur

As 3CR marks 50 years of radical radio, Beyond the Bars enters its 25th year of broadcasting live inside Victorian prisons.

Culture

ISSUE NO. 24

2 MIN READ