Artist Talk

blak douglas

Blak Douglas (aka Adam Hill) was born in Blacktown to a Caucasian Australian mother and a Dhungatti Aboriginal father. Schooled at Penrith NSW, Blak studied Graphic Design at UWS Nepean, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. He became ‘self- practised’ in painting, and emerged as an artist through Boomalli Artists (Leichhardt). Blak has staged numerous solo exhibitions, participated in group shows, and is a four-time finalist of the Archibald Prize which he won in 2022 with his portrait titled ‘Moby Dickens.’ His politically charged art is held in collections such as the Art Gallery of NSW, Blacktown, Campbelltown, City of Sydney, Lane Cove & Liverpool Councils, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, Newcastle University Art Gallery, NSW Parliament House Collection, QAGOMA, Sydney Grammar School, Western Sydney University, National Maritime Museum, Taipei Museum and The AAMU of Utrecht. He is also a classically trained Yidaki player and has performed nationally and internationally accompanying the likes of Christine Anu, Jessica Mauboy, and Peter Sculthorpe. Blak’s vision and activism in response to Australia’s history and ongoing social injustices is a key theme in his arts practice, and in the workshops he runs for young people in schools.

Dr Alison Gill leads the Design program at Western Sydney University which has developed a reputation for community-engaged and social design projects belonging to Western Sydney. Adam and Alison first met each other as ‘student’ and ‘teacher’ in the early days of their design education. In this session, they’ll chat about Adam’s creative paths, beginning with identifying as an Indigenous artist from Western Sydney with connections to mob in Dunghatti country in Northern NSW, to Adam’s present successes with his political art and prestigious commissions, and future creative directions.

Professor Susan Page is a national award-winning Aboriginal educator and Indigenous higher education specialist. Susan is Director of Indigenous Learning and Teaching at Western Sydney University.