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‘Judy Watson’
mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri
Mar 2024 - Aug 2024

A view of ‘mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri: Judy Watson’, featuring walama 2000 (Courtesy: The artist, Milani Gallery and UAP Brisbane) installed on the QAG Watermall, with moreton bay rivers, australian temperature chart, freshwater mussels, net, spectrogram 2022 at back left, QAG, 14 March 2024 / © Judy Watson / Photograph: C Callistemon

For more than four decades, Judy Watson has created powerful, ethereal works of art channelling the stories of her family’s Waanyi Country in north-west Queensland. ‘mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri: Judy Watson’ is a comprehensive survey of the artist’s incisive meditations on colonial, social and ecological concerns. It is her most extensive solo exhibition to date.

The exhibition title, translated as ‘tomorrow the tree grows stronger’, is taken from a poem in Waanyi language by the artist’s son Otis Carmichael. Just as a young tree grows in strength, the act of reclaiming and voicing Indigenous language encourages a regeneration of culture.

The exhibition includes 130 works from an artistic practice centred on truth-telling around the environment, historical government policy affecting Indigenous Australians, and institutions that collect First Nations cultural material and remains.

In this resource, find out more about works from the QAGOMA Collection featured in the exhibition, or explore the full exhibition catalogue. 


‘mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri: Judy Watson’ is on display at QAG from 23 March to 11 August 2024.



Feature image: A view of works by Judy Watson, installed on the Watermall for ‘mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri’, with a glimpse of moreton bay rivers, australian temperature chart, freshwater mussels, net, spectrogram at back left, QAG, 14 March 2024 / © Judy Watson / Photograph: C Callistemon

Collection artworks featured in ‘Judy Watson’

Artwork burnt shield this artwork made of Synthetic polymer paint, ash, charcoal on canvas, created in 2002-01-01

burnt shield 2002
Artwork axe grinding grooves this artwork made of DVD video: 8:13 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Maria Barbagallo / Filming: Peter Moore , created in 2005-01-01

axe grinding grooves 2005
Artwork glasshouse mountains this artwork made of DVD video: 2:59 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Sound recordings: Liza Lim / Sound design: Michael Hewes / Video and camera work: Peter Moor / Video editing: Maria Barbagallo , created in 2005-01-01

glasshouse mountains 2005
Artwork grace this artwork made of DVD video: 15:57 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Alex Barnes / Filming: Watson family, Maria Barbagallo , created in 2006-01-01

grace 2006
Artwork grandmother's song this artwork made of Pigment and pastel on canvas, created in 2007-01-01

grandmother's song 2007
Artwork memory bones this artwork made of Pigment and pastel on canvas, created in 2007-01-01

memory bones 2007
Artwork passing from the edge of memory to the night sky this artwork made of Pigment and pastel on canvas, created in 2007-01-01

passing from the edge of memory to the night sky 2007
Artwork under the act this artwork made of Book with 20 etchings with chine collé on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2007-01-01

under the act 2007
Artwork sacred ground beating heart this artwork made of Natural pigments and pastel on canvas, created in 1989-01-01

sacred ground beating heart 1989
Artwork our bones in your collections this artwork made of Etching with chine collé on Hahnemühle paper, created in 1997-01-01

our bones in your collections 1997
Artwork our hair in your collections this artwork made of Etching with chine collé on Hahnemühle paper, created in 1997-01-01

our hair in your collections 1997
Artwork our skin in your collections this artwork made of Etching with chine collé on Hahnemühle paper, created in 1997-01-01

our skin in your collections 1997
Artwork water memory this artwork made of Three-channel HD video: 15:51 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen OR Single-channel HD video: 6:26 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Director: Judy Watson, Alex Barnes / Editor: Alex Barnes / Sound: Michael Hewes / Photography: Carl Warner / Cinematography: Jared Bazley , created in 2012-01-01

water memory 2012
Artwork found with bones this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 13:50 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Alex Barnes / Participants: Lafe Charlton, Uncle Bob Anderson, Kevin O'Brien, Bianca Beetson, Gordon Hookey / Featuring cultural artefacts in the Collection of the University of Queensland Anthropology Museum , created in 2014-01-01

found with bones 2014
Artwork the holes in the land #1 this artwork made of Four-plate etching on Velin Arches paper, created in 2015-01-01

the holes in the land #1 2015
Artwork the holes in the land #2 this artwork made of Four-plate etching on Velin Arches paper, created in 2015-01-01

the holes in the land #2 2015
Artwork the holes in the land #3 this artwork made of Four-plate etching on Velin Arches paper, created in 2015-01-01

the holes in the land #3 2015
Artwork the holes in the land #4 this artwork made of Four-plate etching on Velin Arches paper, created in 2015-01-01

the holes in the land #4 2015
Artwork the holes in the land #5 this artwork made of Three-plate etching on Velin Arches paper, created in 2015-01-01

the holes in the land #5 2015
Artwork the holes in the land #6 this artwork made of Two-plate etching on Velin Arches paper, created in 2015-01-01

the holes in the land #6 2015
Artwork the keepers this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 9:15 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Co-directors: Judy Watson, Alex Barnes / Co-producers: Judy Watson, Alex Barnes / Camera: Lasse Johansson, Alex Barnes / Camera: Lasse Johansson, Alex Barnes / Editor: Alex Barnes / Sound design: Greg Hooper, Alex Barnes / Acknowledgements: Gayle Sculthorpe, Jill Hasell, Rachael Murphy, British Museum, London, Gavin Breen Collection, Waanyi language courtesy of AIATSIS , created in 2016-01-01

the keepers 2016
Artwork names of places this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 21:59 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Sound compositions: Greg Hooper / Image compositing: Greg Hooper / Video compositing: Jarrad Lee / Assistants: Freja Carmichael, Indy Medeiros, created in 2016-01-01

names of places 2016
Artwork tow row this artwork made of Bronze, created in 2016-01-01

tow row 2016
Artwork the witness tree this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 5:40 minutes, colour, four-channel stereo sound, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Josh Maguire / Sound design: Greg Hooper, created in 2018-01-01

the witness tree 2018
Artwork bloom this artwork made of Pigment, pastel and synthetic polymer paint on canvas, created in 2009-01-01

bloom 2009
Artwork heron island #1 this artwork made of Two-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #1 2009
Artwork heron island #6 this artwork made of Two-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #6 2009
Artwork heron island #7 this artwork made of Three-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #7 2009
Artwork heron island #8 this artwork made of Three-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #8 2009
Artwork heron island #9 this artwork made of Three-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #9 2009
Artwork heron island #12 this artwork made of Two-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #12 2009
Artwork heron island #20 this artwork made of Two-plate etching on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #20 2009
Artwork heron island #2 this artwork made of Two-plate etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #2 2009/10
Artwork heron island #3 this artwork made of Etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #3 2009/10
Artwork heron island #4 this artwork made of Three-plate etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #4 2009/10
Artwork heron island #5 this artwork made of Two-plate etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #5 2009/10
Artwork heron island #10 this artwork made of Etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #10 2009/10
Artwork heron island #11 this artwork made of Etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #11 2009/10
Artwork heron island #13 this artwork made of Two-plate etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #13 2009/10
Artwork heron island #15 this artwork made of Two-plate etching and screenprint on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #15 2009/10
Artwork heron island #16 this artwork made of Two-plate etching and two screenprints on Hahnemühle paper, created in 2009-01-01

heron island #16 2009/10
Artwork blood this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 4:04 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen, created in 2012-01-01

blood 2012
Artwork parts of the body, foot and toes, penis, testicles, heel, elbow, eyebrows, knee this artwork made of Pigment on canvas, created in 2012-01-01

parts of the body, foot and toes, penis, testicles, heel, elbow, eyebrows, knee 2012
Artwork boodjamulla wanami this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 5:41 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Josh Maguire , created in 2019-01-01

boodjamulla wanami 2019
Artwork invasion this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 14:40 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Josh Maguire / Sound design: Greg Hooper , created in 2020-01-01

invasion 2020
Artwork the skin of painting this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 7:30 minutes, colour, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Josh Maguire / Sound: Ross Manning / Performers: Emma Holgate, Otis Carmichael / Camera: Based Productions, Otis Carmichael, Carl Warner, Judy Watson / Salt drawing: Sandra Selig at Yeronga Paint Factory / Covid graphs: ABC News , created in 2020-01-01

the skin of painting 2020
Artwork water under the bridge, tumamun this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 22:37 minutes, black & white, stereo, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Editor: Sai Karlen / Acknowledgements: Otis Carmichael, Ray Kerkhove, Michele Helmrich, Dhana Merritt, Michael Aird, Jonathan Richards, Paul Memmott, Melissa Lucashenko, Deb Bennett, Margaret Reid, Jane Willock, Sophie West, Royal Historical Society of Queensland , created in 2020-01-01

water under the bridge, tumamun 2020
Artwork death of a warrior in black and white, light and shade this artwork made of Video projection: 2:29 minutes, silent, black and white, continuous loop Editor: Cian Sanders / Research assistants: Alice Maia Rezende, Amelia Hine, created in 2021-01-01

death of a warrior in black and white, light and shade 2021
Artwork skullduggery this artwork made of Single-channel HD video: 29:42 minutes, colour, sound, 16:9, continuous loop, projection or screen Voice artists: Daniel Browning, Lafe Charlton, Roxanne McDonald / Editor: Joshua Maguire / Sound recordist: Ross Manning / Photography: Carl Warner / Graphic design: Michael Phillips / Script edits: Michele Helmrich / Transcription of archival documents: Georgia Boe, Michele Helmrich / Ochre washes on paper: Judy Watson Commissioned with the assistance of The Balnaves Foundation 2021-22, created in 2021-01-01

skullduggery 2021
Artwork Moreton bay rivers, Australian temperature chart, freshwater mussels, net, spectrogram this artwork made of Indigo dye, graphite, synthetic polymer paint, waxed linen thread and pastel on cotton , created in 2022-01-01

Moreton bay rivers, Australian temperature chart, freshwater mussels, net, spectrogram 2022
Artwork bones + crosses this artwork made of Digital video digitised from U-Matic, 3/4" and Super 8 film: 10:46 minutes, sound, colour, created in 1993-01-01

bones + crosses 1993

Related digital stories

An artist inspects a sculpture, a fishnet woven in red and orange thread.

BIOGRAPHY: Judy Watson

Read digital story
In the daylight outside GOMA, a visitor uses her mobile phone to view a digital experience related to the fish-net sculpture before her, tow row.

tow row: A digital reality experience

Read digital story
A daylight view of a sculpture, taking the form of a fishnet cast in bronze, installed outside of GOMA

TOW ROW

Judy Watson