Vale Rosemary Laing

The celebrated Australian photo-based artist Rosemary Laing has died, with tributes flowing in from both home and abroad.
Rosemary Laing (1959-2024). Photo: Courtesy of Tolarno Galleries. A Caucasian woman with flowing grey hair, wearing a black-rimmed glasses and a black windbreaker. The background appears to be a lake.

Last week, the Australian art world lost two giants. Those mourning the death of a significant First Nations artist were once again saddened by the death of leading Australian photo-based artist, Rosemary Laing, at the age of 65.

Tolarno Galleries, which commercially represents Laing, posted on Friday (24 May), ‘We are immensely saddened by the passing of Rosemary Laing. One of Australia’s most revered artists, her images are embedded in our psyche.’

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Celina Lei is the Diversity and Inclusion Editor at ArtsHub. She acquired her M.A in Art, Law and Business in New York with a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne. She has previously worked across global art hubs in Beijing, Hong Kong and New York in both the commercial art sector and art criticism. She took part in drafting NAVA’s revised Code of Practice - Art Fairs and was the project manager of ArtsHub’s diverse writers initiative, Amplify Collective. Most recently, Celina was one of three Australian participants in DFAT’s the Future of Leadership program. Celina is based in Naarm/Melbourne. Instagram @lleizy_