Christopher Pease: Terra Nullius
Christopher Pease: Terra Nullius at John Curtin Gallery surveys 3 decades of practice by leading Noongar artist Christopher Pease (Minang/Wardandi/Bibbulmun), whose paintings confront the colonial fictions embedded within Australia’s visual history. Reworking 19th century landscapes and archival imagery at monumental scale, Pease overlays these scenes with Noongar iconography. Referencing the colonial doctrine of terra nullius, the exhibition interrogates sovereignty, land ownership, memory and power through layered compositions that bring Western painting traditions into dialogue with Indigenous systems of storytelling and Country. Featuring significant works from public and private collections, the exhibition positions Pease as a leading voice in contemporary Australian art. Christopher Pease: Terra Nullius is on view until August 23.
Image credit: Christopher Pease, Bidi Karta Werda (Path Across), 2019, oil, Balga resin and ochre on linen, 160 × 300 cm. NGV collection. Photo: Marnie Richardson
