Wayne Quilliam

Professor Wayne Quilliam is one of Australia’s pre-eminent Indigenous photographic artists, curators and cultural advisers working on the international scene. His awards for his career include the NAIDOC Indigenous Artist of the Year, AIMSC Business of the Year, Human Rights Media Award and the Walkley Award for photojournalism including being nominated as a Master of Photography by National Geographic. He was a recent finalist in the invitation only PrixPictet in Paris and in the Bowness Art Award.

He has created and curated over 220 exhibitions throughout the world and been published in more than 1000 magazines, books and newspapers. When not at home with his wife and daughter he is found in communities throughout the country sharing his knowledge and teaching youth the expression of culture through the lens. He is currently writing three children’s books, producing a coffee table book and developing a stage show bringing together Indigenous food, art and music.

His work includes documenting significant Indigenous events over the past 20 years including the Apology, 1967 Referendum anniversary, Garma, Laura, Burunga, Dreaming and Yeperenye festivals and thousands of community events throughout the country. Wayne works with Indigenous groups in Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Guam developing intercultural art and cultural exchanges with the vision of creating global exhibitions.

Wayne’s practical working knowledge of Indigenous issues throughout the country is highly valued and sought after by International corporations including Federal, State and Local government. He runs photographic workshops in remote, rural and urban communities and lectures at Universities, Secondary and Primary educational facilities in Australia and overseas.

In harmony with his photojournalistic work he is recognised as one of the country’s top artists for his diverse art practices including the ‘Lowanna’ series that infuses textures of earth onto the human form, ‘Towindri’ landscape art and ‘Smoke’ exhibition exploring the cultural significance of smoking ceremonies. It is estimated his photographic exhibition of the ‘Apology’, ‘Sorry more than a Word’ that opened at Parliament House in Canberra has been experienced by more than a quarter of a million people and continues to attract large audiences as it travels the world.

Over the past twelve months he has held solo exhibitions in Havana, Tokyo, Mexico City, Caracas, New York City and Los Angeles, Berlin, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and featured at the United Nations, New York. Representing Australia at G’Day LA where his art was seen by more than 20 million people on USA television followed by opening a solo show in New York a week later.

These shows continue his international success’s from the Museum of Young Art, Vienna, several galleries in Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg as well as Russia, Guam, Indonesia and numerous galleries in Australia. His ‘Towindri’ exhibition in Cairo attracted critical acclaim toured Riyadh and Beirut in 2014.

Wayne Quilliam was awarded the 2009 NAIDOC Aboriginal Artist of the Year for his many years of work on the local and International scene working with indigenous groups throughout the world.

• 2009 NAIDOC Artist of the Year
• United Nations