1. Bauble by TONY ALBERT

Tony Albert, Mixed media- cardboard, acrylic paint, ribbon L 9cm, W 9cm, H 0.5cm. 

Tony Albert is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. A proud Kuku Yalanji descendant, born in 1981 in Townsville, Queensland. He is a founding member of the Queensland Indigenous art collective proppaNOW.

Tony is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal Art Co, regularly bringing visitors to our Brisbane gallery, purchasing artworks, and generously dedicating his time to supporting our resident artists. This year, he provided mentoring sessions to Aidan Rowlinson during the development of the Big Face exhibition. We are deeply grateful for his commitment, as an established artist, championing and nuturing emerging talent.

Tony's practice spans drawing, painting, photography, and installation. A key feature of his work is the incorporation of his personal collection of 'Aboriginalia'—kitschy, stereotypical objects that depict Aboriginal culture in oversimplified and misguided ways. Through his work, he critically interrogates race, representation, and cultural identity, using humor, irony, and subversion to challenge stereotypes and confront the enduring issues of appropriation and misrepresentation.