Born 1979, Ngāmotu New Plymouth, Aotearoa New Zealand
Lives and works in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

Shannon Novak’s work manifests as socially engaged and collaborative painting, photography, installation, sculpture, and curatorial practice that may extend beyond traditional exhibition spaces. The work explores experiences of light and dark in the past, present, and future, but ultimately seeks to grow hope for a better world where the LGBTQI+ community can live without fear. Central to Novak's collaborative process is an attitude of respect and care.

Since 2019, Novak has been working with LGBTQI+ communities in Brisbane and wider Queensland to identify key challenges and triumphs they face. From his findings, he developed Make Visible, an ongoing project aimed at illuminating these challenges and triumphs to the world with a view to growing awareness and support. One challenge identified centred on disproportionate rates of psychological distress. This was ratified by research conducted by The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health, and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University in 2021, which found that 81% of the young participants experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress. 81% (Australia) makes this number visible using 80 window panes and one wall in the River Room of the Gallery of Modern Art.

As part of Make Visible, you can also explore the Dear Queensland project, through which QAGOMA and Shannon Novak invited members of Queensland’s LGBTQI+ communities to pen a virtual letter to Queenslanders, reflecting on their challenges and triumphs. The letters and visual responses form part of an important archive that centres and amplifies voices from LGBTQI+ communities.

Partnering projects are being developed by the University of Southern Queensland and the Queensland Museum.

_{Supported by Creative New Zealand.}