Unlearning is a group exhibition curated by Amelia Dowling, featuring art by Jessie Adams, Amelia Dowling, Georgia Kartas/Saint Jorge, Helani Laisk, Kiaya Lee, Nadia Hooton/Makan Moon, Terri Dawn Smith and Brooke Van Der Linden. Working across photography, illustration, collage, painting, textiles, poetry and interactive installation, the artists confront their own modes of unlearning.
The works presented investigate notions of perfectionism and control, body image and self-acceptance, relationship dynamics and personal agency, self-reliance and presence, sexuality, internalised queerphobia, vulnerability and transparency, acts towards releasing the past, the destruction of the “feminine ideal” and artmaking as a mode of healing. The artists seek to deconstruct their own patterns, interrogate accepted structures and challenge established narratives and assumptions. Through the works presented in Unlearning, the artists encourage the viewer to reflect upon what they are willing to unlearn.
Brunswick St Gallery, Melbourne, 4-16 October 2019. Photos courtesy of BSG
Amelia Dowling, Unlearning, 2019, hand embroidery, cotton, recycled paper, 21 x 15cm
ameliadowling.com 