BIOGRAPHY
Kaylene Whiskey was born in Alice Springs in 1976. Her work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea; Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney; and the Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs. Her work has been presented by the Public Art Fund on JCDecaux bus shelters in New York, Chicago, and Boston as part of the exhibition 20 Artists: Global Positioning. The artist has received awards including the Digital Art Prize, Heathcote Cultural Precinct, Perth; General Painting Award, Telstra NATSIAAs Awards, MAGNT, Darwin; and Sir John Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney. Her work is held in several public and private collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Artbank, Australia; ACMI, Melbourne; Foundation Opale, Lens, Switzerland; Sims Dickson Collections, New South Wales; and the Heathcote Cultural Precinct, Perth.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
From Comic to Canvas, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
2022
Kaylene Whiskey: Ngura Pukulpa – Happy Place, Melbourne Art Fair, ACMI, Melbourne, Australia.
2021
Sistas, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
2019
Wonder Women, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
Super Anangu, presented by blackartprojects, NeoSpace, Melbourne, Australia.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Australiana: Designing a Nation, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia.
2022-24
Portrait23: Identity, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia.
Kungka Kunpu (Strong Women), Bowral, Australia. (touring exhibition across Australia)
2022-23
Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI Collection, Benalla Art Gallery, Benalla, Australia.
2022
Still Alive, Aichi Triennale 2022, Nagoya, Japan.
Iwantja Rock n Roll, Fort Gansevoort, New York, NY.
20 Artists: Global Positioning, Public Art Fund, JCDecaux bus shelters, New York, NY; Chicago, IL; and Boston, MA.
Who Are You: Australian Portraiture, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia and National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia.
Before Time Began, Musée Art et Histoire, Brussels, Belgium.
2021-22
Tarnanthi 2021, The Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Sweat, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany.
2021
Spirits, Popstars, and Royals (online exhibition), Fort Gansevoort, New York, NY.
2020-21
The Multiverse, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Bundoora, Australia.
52 Artists 52 Actions, Artspace Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
2020
Archibald Prize, finalist, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Joy, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Bodywork, Fremantle Arts Centre, Freemantle, Australia.
Liberté. Egalité. Beyoncé, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany.
Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Gordon, Australia.
2019
The National: New Australian Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, Australia.
Tarnanthi, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), winner, MAGNT, Darwin, Australia.
Before Time Began, Fondation Opale, Lens, Switzerland.
2018
Sir John Sulman Prize, winner, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Sydney Contemporary, presented by blackartprojects, Carriageworks, Sydney, Australia.
Hard Feelings, The Honeymoon Suite, Melbourne, Australia.
A Lightness of Spirit Is the Measure of Happiness, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia.
Nganana Kuranyukutu Ma-Palyani, APY Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
2017
Next Matriarch, ACE Open, Tarnanthi Festival, Adelaide, Australia.
Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), finalist, MAGNT, Darwin, Australia.
Cossack Art Awards, Cossack, Australia.
Desert Mob, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, Australia.
2016
Nganampa Kililpil: Our Stars, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea, Australia.
Women of World, SA Artist Representative, Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre, Katherine, Australia.
Desert Mob, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, Australia.
Tesltra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), finalist, MAGNT, Darwin, Australia.
Iwantja Artists Exhibition, Short St Gallery, Broome, Australia.
2015
Desert Mob, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, Australia.
Salon Des Refusés, Charles Darwin University with Oiutstation Gallery, Darwin, Australia.
2014
Desert Mob, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, Australia.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
ACMI, Melbourne, Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Artbank, Australia
Fondation Opale, Lens, Switzerland
Heathcote Cultural Precinct, Perth, Australia
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks, Australia
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Sims Dickson Collections, New South Wales, Australia
RESIDENCIES, AWARDS & GRANTS
2022
Melbourne Art Foundation Commission, Melbourne, Australia.
2020
Digital Art Prize, Heathcote Cultural Precinct, Perth, Australia.
2019
General Painting Award, Telstra NATSIAAs Awards, MAGNT, Darwin, Australia.
2018
Sir John Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney, Australia.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2023
"Australia’s most iconic artists on show in Bendigo," The New Daily, March 24.
“Portrait23: Identity,” Australian Arts Review, March 4.
Churchman, Fi. “Kaylene Whisky’s Giddy Comics and Barbed Commentary,” ArtReview Asia, February 24.
“Superpowered On Tour”, QAGOMA, January 19.
2022
Benalla Ensign. “Benalla Art Gallery to premiere summer blockbuster”, Shepparton News, November 25.
Rappolt, Mark. “Aichi Triennale 2022: What Are Museums Really For?” ArtReview, September 27.
Taylor, Bea. “Iwantja Arts Take To New York City, With A ‘Rock N Roll’ Exhibition!”, The Design Files, August 25.
“Art by women of APY Lands on national tour”, Australian Associated Press, August 19.
Dexter, Henry. “At Fort Gansevoort, ‘Iwantja Rock n Roll’ Eschews the Modernist Myths of Aboriginal Art”, Cultured, August 11.
Jung, Sujin.“The 5th Aichi Triennale Is a Reminder to Keep Living”, Ocula, August 10.
Anania, Billy. “Your Concise New York Art Guide for August 2022”, Hyperallergic, August 1.
Mezzolani, Ario. “Iwantja Rock n Roll: The work of three artists from Aboriginal Australian communities”, Lampoon, July 29.
D’Souza, Aruna. “What to See in N.Y.C. Galleries Right Now”, The New York Times, July 28.
Yerebakan, Osman Can. "South Australia’s Aboriginal arts community makes New York debut", The Art Newspaper, July 15.
Gilstrap, Nyla. “Iwantja Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Air Mail, July 8.
“We Hear”, New York Post, July 7.
“Iwantja Rock n Roll! Fort Gansevoort”, Martin Cid Magazine, June 20.
Capp, Mem. “Exhibition Review: Who Are You: Australian Portraiture”, Arts Hub, May 23.
Burke, Janine. “How an 18-year-old’s portrait revealed the woman she would become”, The Sydney Morning Herald, March 24.
Huntington, Patty. “Wonder Woman: Discover WAH-WAH Australia’s collaboration with artist Kaylene Whiskey”, Harper’s Bazaar Australia, March.
“Kaylene Whiskey’s Ngura Pukulpa – Happy Place”, Broadsheet, February 21.
Furling, Christine. “‘Before Time Began’: à Bruxelles, les artistes aborigènes puisent à la source du temps”, La Voix du Nord, February 9.
“The Artsy Collector Spotlight: Abigail Crompton”, Artsy, January 28.
2021
McDonald, John. "Tarnanthi 2021: surprises, eccentricities and dazzling variety, this exhibition stays in the mind", The Sydney Morning Herald, December 17.
Miller, Nick. “Do you know what a portrait is? This NGV show wants you to think again”, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 24.
Richardson, Stephen. “Exhibition review: Tarnanthi”, Arts Hub, October 19.
Magnusson, Tony. “’Connection to country’ inspires artworks”, The Canberra Times, October 13.
Wilson, Emma-Kate. “Kaylene Whiskey Brings the Indulkana Community Spirit to Tarnanthi 2021”, Ocula Magazine, October 6.
Morris, Linda. “David Bowie, Cher and Dolly Parton grace joyous Sydney Modern project”, The Sydney Morning Herald, September 27.
Saunders, Aiesha. “Badu Gili: Wonder Women – highlighting First Nations matriarchs”, The Guardian, April 23.
Holland, Mary. “For Art Lovers, Sydney Modern Project Is Reason Enough to Visit Australia”, Afar Magazine, April 23.
Pitt, Helen. “How an artist with a dream brought Dolly Parton - or her likeness - to the Opera House”, The Sydney Morning Herald, April 23.
Brand, Michael. “Why we are projecting First Nations art on the Sydney Opera House”, The Art Newspaper, April 22.
Russell, Stephen. “Badu Gili: Wonder Women”, Time Out, April 19.
2020
Andrew, Brook. “Brook Andrew’s Top Ten Highlights of 2020”, Artforum, December.
Selinger-Morris, Samantha. “How do you explain the unwavering and universal appeal of Dolly Parton?”, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 19.
Wolifson, Chloe. “An Archies unlike any other: what to look for at this year's exhibition”, The Sydney Morning Herald, September 27.
Jefferson, Dee. “Archibald Prize won by Vincent Namatjira with self portrait alongside Adam Goodes”, ABC News, September 24.
Eccles, Jeremy. “Why not the Wynne?”, Aboriginal Art Directory, September 17.
Smith, Talia. “Tina Dolly Cher Diana & Kaylene”, VAULT Magazine, November.
2019
Martin-Chew, Louise. “Kaylene Whiskey”, Artist Profile, no. 48.
O’Brien, Kerrie. “Giant leaps: Indigenous artists push the boundaries”, The Sydney Morning Herald, November 8.
Marsh, Walter. “US pop culture and Anangu traditions inspire strong and proud Tarnanthi film project”, The Adelaide Review, October 17.
Cumpston, Nici. “Blood money, superheroes and Bruce Pascoe's knowledge: new Indigenous art – in pictures”, The Guardian, October 15.
Marsh, Walter. “Tarnanthi 2019 program invites Australia to reflect on the past and pay the rent”, The Adelaide Review, September 16.
Yeoman, William. “Diversity draws attention”, The West Australian, August 11.
Quin, John. “No Worries? New Art From Australia”, The Quietus, July 6.
Nussbaum, Virginie. “En Valais, plongée dans les méandres du Rêve aborigène”, Le Temps, June 21.
Goldfinch, Elyse. “The National 2019: New Australian Art”, Ocula, April 13.
Cox, Will. “The National: Five Australian Artists to Watch”, Broadsheet, March 1.
2018
Schubert, Steven. “Indigenous artists stage sell-out show in Sydney to raise funds for leaking Iwantja Arts”, ABC News, November 3.
Stephens, Andrew. “'What sustains us?' ACCA's ambitious Indigenous exhibition finds joy amid sorrow”, The Sydney Morning Herald, July 6.
McDonald, Patrick. “Cher and Dolly Parton help win $40,000 Sulman Prize for APY Lands artist Kaylene Whiskey”, The Advertiser, May 11.
2017
Llewellyn, Jane. “Exploring Future Indigenous Matriarchs”, The Adelaide Review, October 9.