This series responds to the colonial narrative where western clothes were used as a tool against Indigenous peoples and their identity. Now we wear clothing to embrace our cultural identity and a form of protesting for our rights.’
N.Smith Gallery is delighted to present Kyra Mancktelow's fourth exhibition with the gallery – We're Marching.
Investigating the history of protest in Australia through legacies of colonialism, We're Marching poses important questions such as how we remember and acknowledge the Indigenous experience and histories of today.
Made using Kyra’s unique ink transfer technique, each work is and painted with designs the artist observed on contemporary clothing during protests on Invasion Day 2023. The result is the transfer of ink and conceptual ideas, creating an image that stages stark encounters between emblems of Indigenous cultural resistance and the garb of European invaders.
This new body of work is the third series in Kyra’s investigation into the history of garments in Australia, preceded by her critically-acclaimed series Moongabla (recipient of a Testra NATSIA Award – 2021) and Gubba Up (2022).
Artwork:
