Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative is proud to announce the 2024 Mardi Gras Exhibition is My Sovereign Black Body, curated by Wamba Wamba man, Steven Lindsay Ross.

My Sovereign Black Body explores First Nations identity, stripped back to the basics. Black bodies are often seen through colonial eyes, our identities framed by racism and foreign concepts of beauty and worth. Like our land and waters, our bodies, our words, our culture and even our information is stolen or commodified.

For black LGBTQIA+ peoples, we are medicalised, sexualised, fetishised, brutalised, objectified, politicised and categorised.

My Sovereign Black Body is a RECLAMATION of our skin and bones and essence, of the beauty defined by our own eyes and by Country, kinship connection, song, culture and dance – it is a celebration of blackness by queer black artists.

Our exhibiting artists include Jeffrey Samuels, Jasmine Sarin, Ella Noah Bancroft, Hayley Pigram, Peta-Joy Williams, Kyra Kum-Sing, Kirilly Dawn, Dennis Golding, Jessica Johnson, Nioka Lowe-Brennan, Nola Taylor, Graeme Walker, Nathan Frank, Peter Waples-Crowe and Nebbi Boii.

Boomalli stalwart and black queer pioneer Jeffrey Samuels is also exhibiting and says “After a terrible 2023, this is our moment to shine again and celebrate our people for the magical beings we are”.

Wiradjuri artist Peta-Joy Williams adds “Our voices are still powerful and our bodies are beautiful. My woven pieces represent the black female form in all its glory, using an ancient tradition handed down over thousands of years”.

The exhibition launches on Friday 16th February 2024 and will run until Saturday 13th April 2024.

ARTIST & CURATOR TALKS: Join us at Boomalli on Thursday 21st March at 6pm to celebrate our First Nations LGBTQIA+ community and hear from curator Steven Ross and exhibiting artists Peta-Joy Williams, Nate Frank aka Gemini and Nioka Lowe-Brennan. All Welcome.

RSVP https://events.humanitix.com/my-sovereign-black-body-artist-talks