Drawn from the QAGOMA Collection, ‘Snap Blak’ is survey of photographic works by First Nations artists. ‘Blak’ – widely used today as a signifier of dynamic Indigenous identity in Australia – originated with Erub, Mer and Kuku artist Destiny Deacon. Deacon redefined the spelling and cultural context of the word ‘black’ as a symbolic disruption to derogatory categorisations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Snap’ refers colloquially to the act of taking a photograph, as well as to rebuke – to ‘snap’ or ‘clap back’ to historical and mainstream representations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The late 1980s saw the rise of a dynamic movement of contemporary photographers creating work from an explicitly Indigenous perspective. Their powerful assertions of visual sovereignty led the way for new modes of self-representation that resist prevalent stereotypes, counter colonial mythology and elevate the joy and dignity of blak life. Iconic images by these artists are shown alongside recent work by photographers that continue their legacy through diverse contemporary lenses.

Each theme in ‘Snap Blak’ is scaffolded around the affirmation of identity through the act of photography. ‘Community POV’ (point of view) celebrates potent collaborative practices. ‘Visualising identity’ explores performative and symbolic representations of selfhood and connections to Country. ‘Re-visioning history’ presents theatrical narrative responses to records of the past, while in ‘Archive: Reply’ responses to historic imagery unfold as reclamations of individual, collective and cultural memory.

Each image in ‘Snap Blak’ recentres the photographic gaze, subverting the colonial legacy of photography of Indigenous people as an instrument of disempowerment and misrepresentation.
 

'Snap Blak' is on display from August 2025 to September 2026 in Gallery 3.5 at GOMA. To make the most of your visit, check the exhibition dates, get information on getting here and parking, and find out about Gallery accessibility.