Judy Watson
Judy Watson was born in Mundubbera, Queensland and lives and works in Brisbane. Watson’s Aboriginal matrilineal family are Waanyi, whose Country is located in north-west Queensland. Watson works from site, archives and collective memory to reveal the fault lines of history within place and Country, lays bare the impact of colonial history and the institutional discrimination of Aboriginal people, celebrates Aboriginal cultural practice, and registers our precarious relationship with the environment. Her works comprise painting, printmaking, drawing, video, sculpture and public art.
Watson has exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas. Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK presented Judy Watson in 2020, a version to be shown at TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville, Victoria and touring. Judy Watson: the edge of memory was exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney in 2018. In 2015, her work was included in Artist and Empire: Facing Britain’s Imperial Past, Tate Britain, London and Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation, British Museum, London. A major survey of Watson’s works made from 1989 to 2003, sacred ground beating heart, was exhibited in 2003 at the John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, WA, and at the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane in 2004. Asialink toured a version of sacred ground beating heart in 2004 to Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, and Australian venues. Watson co-represented Australia in the 1997 Venice Biennale.
Major awards received include the Australia Council Visual Arts Award (Artist) in 2015; in 2006, the National Gallery of Victoria’s Clemenger Contemporary Art Award, and the Works on Paper Award at the 23rd Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award; and, in 1995, the Moët & Chandon Fellowship. In 2018, she received a Doctorate of Art History (honoris causa) from The University of Queensland.
Watson’s work is held in major Australian and international public collections, including: National Gallery of Australia; all Australian state art galleries; Museum of Contemporary Art / Tate collections; Taipei Fine Arts Museum; St Louis Art Museum, USA; The British Museum, London; Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, UK; Library of Congress, Washington, USA; Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia, USA; as well as significant private collections.
Watson has received major public art commissions, including bara, to be installed at Bennelong Point, Sydney in 2020; tow row, bronze sculpture installed outside GOMA, Brisbane, 2016; ngarunga nangama: calm water dream, 300-square-metre artwork, 200 George Street, Sydney; yara, Flinders University, Adelaide, 2016; living well, murri kitchen and fragments, grounds of Townsville Hospital, 2016; water memory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research foyer, 2011; freshwater lens, beneath Turbot Street Overpass, Brisbane, 2010; fire and water, Reconciliation Place, Canberra, 2007; museum piece and two halves with baler shell, Musée du Quai Branly, Paris, 2006; heart/land/river, Brisbane Magistrates Court foyer, 2004; ngarrn-gi land/law, 50-metre etched zinc wall, Victorian County Court, Melbourne, 2002; walama forecourt, sculptural installation at Sydney International Airport, 2000; wurreka, 50-metre etched zinc wall, Melbourne Museum, 2000.
Judy Watson: blood language, a monograph by Judy Watson and Louise Martin-Chew, was published by The Miegunyah Press, Melbourne University Publishing in 2009.
Artworks — Exhibitions
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Judy Watson standing stone, kangaroo grass, bush string 2020
synthetic polymer paint, graphite on canvas 246 x 181 cm Assistant: Elisa Jane Carmichael Geelong Gallery Purchased through the John Norman Mann Bequest Fund and with funds generously provided by the Robert Salzer Foundation Acquisition Fund, 2020
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Judy Watson standing stone, kangaroo grass, red and yellow ochre 2020
acrylic and graphite on canvas250 x 181.5 cmCourtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, BrisbanePhoto: Carl Warner
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Judy Watson standing stones, gumbi gumbi, stone tool 2020
earth, graphite, pastel, synthetic polymer paint, cotton on canvas 229.5 x 181 cm Assistants: Dorothy Watson (stitching), Victoria Maclean and Dale Harding (for providing Woorabinda earth, gumbi gumbi leaves, and some stitching) Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson standing stone, ochre net, spine 2020
synthetic polymer paint, graphite on canvas 245.5 x 181 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson standing stone, open cut ground 2020
earth, synthetic polymer paint, graphite on canvas 233 x 182 cm Assistants: Victoria Maclean and Dale Harding (for providing Woorabinda earth) Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson standing stones, ashes to ashes 2020
earth, synthetic polymer paint, graphite on canvas 229 x 181 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson standing stone with spines 2020
synthetic polymer paint, graphite on canvas 228.5 x 180 cm Assistants: Dorothy Watson and Victoria Maclean Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson standing stone, grevillea 2020
synthetic polymer paint, aquarelle and graphite pencil on canvas 247 x 181 cm Assistant: Dorothy Watson Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson dugong bones 2020
synthetic polymer paint, graphite, indigo on canvas 190 x 105 cm Assistant: Victoria Maclean Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson pituri bags 2020
synthetic polymer paint, indigo on canvas 190.5 x 71 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson passage of light and air 2020
synthetic polymer paint, aquarelle pencil on canvas 239 x 181.5 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson standing stones with sutures on indigo 2020
synthetic polymer paint, indigo, pastel, china graph pencil, cotton on canvas 228 x 178.4 cm Assistants: Dorothy Watson (stitching) and Victoria Maclean Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson two moons, trooper’s buttons 2020
synthetic polymer paint, graphite, indigo on canvas 190 x 106.5 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson resistance 2020
pastel, synthetic polymer paint, indigo on canvas 189 x 71 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson resistance pins 2020
synthetic polymer paint, graphite, indigo on canvas 192 x 180 cm Assistant: Victoria Maclean Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson resistance pins 2018
porcelain dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson resistance pins 2018
porcelain dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson resistance pins 2018
cast bronze with patina finish dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson 40 pairs of blackfellows’ ears, lawn hill station part of salt in the wound 2008
cast beeswax dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson 40 pairs of blackfellows’ ears, lawn hill station part of salt in the wound 2008
cast beeswax dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson 40 pairs of blackfellows’ ears, lawn hill station part of salt in the wound 2008
cast beeswax dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson the witness tree 2018
(video stills) single channel video, four channel sound video duration 00:05:40 Video editor: Maria Barbagallo Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Judy Watson, Greg Hooper, Robert Andrew Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson the witness tree 2018
(video stills) single channel video, four channel sound video duration 00:05:40 Video editor: Maria Barbagallo Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Judy Watson, Greg Hooper, Robert Andrew Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson the witness tree 2018
(video stills) single channel video, four channel sound video duration 00:05:40 Video editor: Maria Barbagallo Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Judy Watson, Greg Hooper, Robert Andrew Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson the witness tree 2018
(video stills) single channel video, four channel sound video duration 00:05:40 Video editor: Maria Barbagallo Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Judy Watson, Greg Hooper, Robert Andrew Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson boodjamulla wanami 2019
(video stills) single channel video video duration 00:05:41 Video editor: Joshua Maguire Cinematography: Judy Watson Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson boodjamulla wanami 2019
(video stills) single channel video video duration 00:05:41 Video editor: Joshua Maguire Cinematography: Judy Watson Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson invasion 2020
(video stills) single channel video video duration 00:14:50 Video editor: Joshua Maguire Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Ali Clark, Maria Barbagallo, Judy Watson Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson invasion 2020
(video stills) single channel video video duration 00:14:50 Video editor: Joshua Maguire Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Ali Clark, Maria Barbagallo, Judy Watson Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson invasion 2020
(video stills) single channel video video duration 00:14:50 Video editor: Joshua Maguire Sound design: Greg Hooper Cinematography: Ali Clark, Maria Barbagallo, Judy Watson Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson passing from the edge of memory to the night sky 2007
pigment and pastel on canvas 211x127cm Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane The James C. Sourris AM Collection. Gift of James C. Sourris through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2010. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program
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Judy Watson waterline 2001
pigments on canvas 224 x 114 cm Bank Art Museum Moree Collection Presented in 2009 by Dr Ann Lewis, AO, as one in a collection of some 70 contemporary Aboriginal works. Presented through the Cultural Gifts Program
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Judy Watson a complicated fall 2007
pigment and synthetic polymer paint on canvas 217 x 127 cm Private collection
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Judy Watson grandmother’s song 2007
pigment and pastel on canvas 196 x 107 cm Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane Purchased 2007 with funds from Margaret Greenidge through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation and the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Grant
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Judy Watson two halves with bailer shell 2002
pigment and synthetic polymer paint on canvas 194 x 108 cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Purchased 2003
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Judy Watson proclamation 2011
pigment and synthetic polymer paint on canvas 213 x 156.6 cm Collection of The University of Queensland, purchased 2012
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Judy Watson bunya 2011
pigment, synthetic polymer paint and watercolour pencil on canvas 212 x 156.5 cm Private collection
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Judy Watson blue notes 2019–20
cyanotypes on paper dimensions variable Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Brisbane
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Judy Watson sacred water 2010
Pigment, pastel and acrylic on canvas 212 x 213 cm Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery