5 Aboriginal Artists To Keep An Eye On

Our Mob will celebrate its biggest exhibition in its 10th year of presenting the most outstanding work by South Australian Aboriginal artists.

This year, Our Mob will also be a part of the highly anticipated inaugural Tarnanthi Festival Of Contemporary Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Art, presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia. After being expanded to incorporate a number of exhibitions, this year’s Our Mob will again include last year’s successful Our Mob Contemporary; the Don Dunstan Foundation Our Mob Emerging Artist exhibition; Our Young Mob; an exciting new wearable art parade and of course, the main Our Mob exhibition in Artspace Gallery.

Coral Hayes' 'Bush Onions'

Our Mob's main exhibition promises to present the most impressive array of work by South Australian Indigenous artists with more than 200 entries. Works will span a range of media including: photography, weaving, paint on canvas, sculpture and more will explore a vast array of themes including relationship to land, wildlife, politics, Aboriginal cultures and many others.

Curator of Our Mob, Maggie Fletcher, has named her Top 5 Aboriginal artists to keep an eye on at Our Mob, Tarnanthi and in the future:

James Tylor's '(Deleted Scenes) From An Untouched Landscape No.4'

James Tylor: Kaurna/ Maori artist

James is a contemporary Aboriginal artist whose work has had a rapid and highly acclaimed rise to national fame over the past few years. He intelligently conceptualised artworks are always intriguing and his 2015 Our Mob exhibits are profound and beautifully executed photographic three dimensional collage images.

Damien Shen: Ngarrindjeri/ Chinese artist

Damien is still finding direction in his arts practice but is highly sought after and predominantly finding national success with exquisite portrait drawings. That being said Our Mob is this year featuring a print and oil painting that are remarkable achievements.

Debra Rankine and Stephanie Russell's 'Hope And Sorrow'

Debra Rankine: Ngarrindjeri weaver from Meningie

Debra has been learning traditional weaving practice from her elders for many years now and her work in this year’s Our Mob is showing an even more masterly level of execution. Her imaginative play with this traditional form in her Our Mob exhibits of a grass woven backpack, peaked cap and a handbag alongside her inaugural curatorial work for the Our Mob Contemporary exhibition demonstrate a promising future for her.

Ali Cobby Eckermann's 'Fish Trap'

Ali Cobby Eckermann: Yankunytjatjara artist from Koolunga (northwest of Clare SA)

Ali is already a well-known Indigenous author of several highly acclaimed publications. In recent years she has also discovered sculptural forms making art from recycled and found wire. Her Our Mob work this year is featuring a powder-coated farm wire sculpture of a fish trap referencing both her Indigenous heritage and personal history.

Emeleena Warren's 'Tjungu Palya'

Emeleena Warren: Pitjantjatjara artist from Nyapari (APY Lands)

Emeleena is only seven years old, but watch this young artist develop! She has two paintings featured in the Our Young Mob exhibition and each show a remarkable sophistication and skill. She has been learning to paint from her famous grandfather and will be an artist to look out for in future years.

Our Mob exhibits the Adelaide Festival Centre 10 October – 6 December.