Blak Douglas is a name most of us know well. The 2022 Archibald Prize Winner made waves with his colossal portrait of Karla Dickens last year. With his immense, striking and unflinching style, the Dughatti man was the second Indigenous artist to take home Australian art’s biggest prize in 101 years.
Now, Douglas is holding his own solo exhibition at the Manly Art Gallery & Museum, and it looks incredible.
Inverted Commoners is a confronting exploration of the truth of first contact between First Nations people and the British arrivals at Gayamay/Manly Cove. Using film, sculpture and bold painted landscapes overlaid with giant black inverted commas, Douglas will explore the common ground shared by Sydney’s displaced First Nations population and the displaced ‘commoners’ who were transported to Australia, while also questioning what Manly Cove should really be called in a society that has lost all its oldest names
This multi-media exhibition will include a rare screening of Blak Douglas’ 2009 film Refuse, Refuse, starring Indigenous actor Katie Beckett, as well as seeing the gallery’s wall that faces Gamayay/Manly Cove come alive with a giant mural that will live fulltime in the public space.
Inverted Commoners is all about questioning what is, and rediscovering what was. With a deep focus on the waters, coves and landscapes of the Manly Cove region where the exhibition is taking place, Douglas is exposing the truth of the country on which we all stand in Sydney, whilst also spotlighting the experience of the land’s original and oldest inhabitants.
Blak Douglas’ solo show will run from April 21 to July 30, and is supported by the Aboriginal Heritage Office and Colormaker Industries. Entry is free, and you can find out all and more right here.
