Recognising the gender disparity of their own Australian art collection, with only a quarter of the works by female artists, ‘Know My Name’ is the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) call-to-action initiative, part of the global movement to increase representation of women-identifying artists.
The program celebrates the significant contributions of Australian female artists to our cultural life, as well as the NGA’s new guiding principles to ensure gender equality in their future programing, collection development and organisational structures. The NGA invites the arts and cultural industries and communities, both locally and internationally, to recognise and highlight the work of women, traversing a range of different artistic and creative practices.
Brenda L Croft, Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra People; Anglo-Australian/Chinese/German/Irish Heritage, Matilda (Ngambri/Ngunnawal), 2019. Collection of National Gallery of Australia, purchased 2020. Courtesy the artist and National Gallery of Australia, Australian Capital Territory
‘Know My Name’ will deliver a vibrant program of exhibitions and events, with commissions, creative collaborations, publications and partnerships, that speak to the importance of women artists throughout history – to see their art, hear their stories and know their names.
From 13 November, the exhibition ‘Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now’ will stage more than 350 works, featuring artists such as Destiny Deacon, Marie Hagerty, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Margaret Preston, Margaret Worth, Bonita Ely and Jill Orr. Highlights include a commission by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, an installation by Justene Williams and a complete edition of one of Tracey Moffatt’s key photographic series. Coinciding with the exhibition opening, a three day conference will be held from 11 November, celebrating the role of women as artists, researches, mentors and activists.
