Exhibition open until Friday 28 September
Honouring the late Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, and Barkindji artist Josh Muir (1991–2022), this major retrospective showcases his bold, vibrant works across painting, digital prints, neon, and augmented reality.
Josh Muir was born and raised on Wadawurrung Country in Ballarat, Victoria. The exhibition title is taken from an artwork of the same name – Forever I Live (2015) – and is a reference to the ongoing legacy that continues to live in Josh’s artwork beyond life itself. JXSH MVIR: Forever I Live is co-curated by Josh’s partner Shanaya Sheridan, his mother Justine Berg and the curatorial team at Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT).
During his relatively short, yet prolific career, Josh produced a vast range of paintings and digital artworks that were characterised by a unique vernacular of contemporary iconography, developed by the artist over the course of his career. Josh embraced digital methods of production and a visual language influenced by street art, a pop aesthetic and incorporate various forms of design
His artworks draw on a range of themes including cultural identity, the impacts and legacies of colonisation, extending to more personal experiences of mental health, addiction, loss and grief. Throughout his career, Josh frequently commented on the important role art played in an ongoing process of healing for him. His works are characterised by a vibrant use of colour and geometric patterning across a range of media, including painting, digital prints on aluminium, neon, animated video works and augmented reality experiences.
JXSH MVIR: Forever I Live is a Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) exhibition that was first presented at KHT from 9 March – 14 July 2024, and touring to galleries across Victoria.
Catalogue, Exhibition and Touring Partners: Creative Victoria, City of Melbourne, the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body, the Australian Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program, ANZ and the Gordon Darling Foundation.
Image credit: Josh Muir (Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, Barkindji), Ill Upgraded, 2017. Digital print on aluminium. Collection of Peter Nash. Photo: Christian Capurro.
