CURRENT: Katherine Hattam, Our Swans Are Black

Tracing and mapping history, Hattam’s ongoing exploration for the Australian coast and escaped convict William Buckley serendipitously brings Our Swans Are Black to QG.

Committed and passionate, Katherine Hattam engages with the past and the present in a way that captivates the eye and challenges the intellect, asking us to think about the things that are often unseen and unsaid.

Baskets and eel traps, flora and fauna—all painted with a bold approach to colour and pattern, prevail and emphasise the diversity and abundance available to those with the knowledge to access it. Emus, wombats and witchety grubs stand alongside kangaroos—and black swans, so strange to the settlers and the artist’s English-born mother, who had only ever seen white swans before coming to Australia.

Hattam, a well-respected Australian artist, has exhibited widely throughout Australia. Her work is included in numerous major public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Bendigo Art Gallery, Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art and Artbank.

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*QG Mingles are replacing public exhibition openings. These private invitations are exclusive to a small group of QG patrons and will be catered for celebrations with the artists. Sign up to the QG Mingle list on the QG website and let us know which artist/artists you are most keen to mingle and follow.