Brad Darkson (2023)
Brad Darkson’s practice is informed by his First Nations and Anglo Australian heritage, and encompasses carving, sound, sculpture, multimedia installation and painting. Darkson's work is often site-specific, and connects contemporary and traditional cultural practices, language and lore. His current research interests include traditional land management practices, bureaucracy, seaweed and neo-capitalism.
Darkson was selected to participate in the 2023 Studio Program.
'Having the studio at ACE this year has been incredible for my practice. I’ve been allowed to set up a home base in a central location to work with visiting curators for a few shows that I’ve had. The ACE Studios Program removes the burden of having to pay rent - you have a free studio space and you have it for a year.' Brad Darkson, 2023.
Darkson's mob on his Dad's side is the Chester family, with lineages to Narungga and many other Nations in South Australia － from Ngarrindjeri to Far West Coast. On his Mum's side, he is from the Colley and Ball convict and settler migrant families, both arriving in 1839 aboard the Duchess of Northumberland.
Darkson completed a BFA at the University of South Australia in 2015 and a MFAD at the University of Tasmania in 2017. Recent exhibitions include Between Waves, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, 2023; Make Yourself Comfortable, Post Office Projects, Adelaide, 2022; Neoteric, Adelaide Railway Station, 2022; Experimenta Life Forms, touring 2021–2024; Adelaide//International, Samstag Museum, Adelaide, 2020; VIETNAM – ONE IN, ALL IN, touring 2019–2021; The Return, Dark Mofo, Hobart, 2018; and LOSS. GAIN. REVERB. DELAY., Vitalstatistix, Port Adelaide, 2017.
