Walking in Two Worlds: by Dr. Pamela Croft
The Mount Perry Art Gallery is honored to present “Walking in Two Worlds,” a distinguished exhibition featuring the works of renowned Queensland artist, Dr. Pamela Croft (Warcon). The exhibition opens on Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Shelley Kelly Gallery, 58 Heusman Street, Mount Perry. Visitors are invited to attend the opening reception, including light refreshments and an opportunity to meet the artist.
About Dr. Pamela Croft
Dr. Pamela Croft has established herself as a significant figure in the Australian art landscape with an illustrious career recognized both nationally and internationally. In 2003, she achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indigenous Australian to earn a PhD in Art, demonstrating her commitment to both artistic practice and scholarly engagement.
Born in 1955 in Cooma, New South Wales, Dr. Croft is a Kooma clan Euahlayi Nation descendant, connected to the Wiradhuric dialect Yuwaalaraay language from Southwest Queensland. She currently maintains her studio practice in Bundaberg on the Wide Bay in Queensland, the traditional lands of the Gooreng Gooreng, Taribelang Bunda, Gurang and Bailai Peoples.
As a member of the Stolen Generations, Dr. Croft was separated from her mother at age six—an experience that profoundly influences her artistic exploration of identity, history, place, and the effects of colonization. The exhibition title, “Walking in Two Worlds,” reflects her experience navigating between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian cultures.
Despite these early challenges, Dr. Croft pursued her passion for art while raising her two sons as a single mother. Her perseverance led to her groundbreaking academic achievements and the development of a distinctive artistic practice that draws from both Aboriginal and Western art traditions.
Exhibition Highlights
“Walking in Two Worlds” brings together an unprecedented collection of Dr. Croft’s works from prestigious international venues and collections. The exhibition includes pieces previously displayed in Paris, Amsterdam, Washington D.C., Manila, and Samoa, alongside select works from the permanent collections of the World Museum in Rotterdam and the National Museum of Australia in Canberra.
The exhibition is organized into several compelling sections:
Diverse Artistic Media
Dr. Croft’s work demonstrates remarkable versatility across multiple media, including prints, works on paper, artist books, paintings, sculptural assemblages, weavings, and installations. Her creative approach incorporates mixed media, found objects, ochre, plant dyes, and fiber—reflecting her training in both Aboriginal and Western art traditions and her identity as a “bricoleur” who adapts materials to conceptual vision.
The Paper-to-Bronze Journey
This section documents Dr. Croft’s artistic process, showcasing the evolution from lithographs and paper models to ceramic and resin forms, culminating in her celebrated bronze mannequin sculptures. There will be information on the journey from Paper to Bronze.
The Unique Mud Map Collection
A signature element of Dr. Croft’s oeuvre, the Mud Map Collection showcases her innovative technique developed at her farm near Rockhampton. This process involves placing rag paper in tidal mudflats during low tide and allowing several tidal cycles to create unique patterns as water, mud, organic materials, and marine life interact with the paper.
The exhibition presents two distinct categories of Mud Maps:
- Section 1: Works produced directly in the riverbed with minimal studio enhancement
- Section 2: Mono-prints created in the studio using mud and materials from the mudflats
Each Mud Map is numbered and unique, representing an unrepeatable moment in nature. These works hold particular significance as Dr. Croft no longer has access to the original mudflat location, and health considerations prevent her from undertaking such physically demanding work in the future.
New and Award-Winning Works
The exhibition also features exclusive new works created specifically for this event, alongside Dr. Croft’s most critically acclaimed pieces from throughout her career.
Artistic Significance
Dr. Croft’s work addresses significant themes of identity, displacement, and history through her “land-centered, Bothways philosophy.” Her art offers “alternative story sites” that challenge conventional narratives and celebrate her Aboriginal heritage while acknowledging the complexities of Australian history and identity.
Her artistic goals explicitly emphasize “the importance of tradition, recognition of ancestors; respect for uniqueness in spiritual expression, acknowledgement of history and culture; a sense of place; and the strong connection to family and community.”
Beyond her artistic practice, Dr. Croft has made substantial contributions as an academic, master tutor, art judge, reviewer, author, and social history researcher. She is also an advocate for artists’ rights, social justice, self-determination, and empowerment, actively representing First Nations and community art groups through initiatives such as Capricornia Arts Mob (CAM) and the “Honouring Land Connections” Public Art Project in Rockhampton.
Exhibition Details
- Opening Reception: Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 2:00 PM
- Location: Shelley Kelly Gallery, 58 Heusman Street, Mount Perry
- Features: Meet the artist, light refreshments, select works available for purchase
Mount Perry, located approximately 100 kilometers west of Bundaberg in the Gooreng Gooreng language region, provides a meaningful setting for this significant exhibition.
“Walking in Two Worlds” represents more than an art exhibition—it offers insight into Dr. Pamela Croft’s remarkable journey from the challenges of the Stolen Generations to her achievements as a groundbreaking artist and academic. Her work is a testament to resilience, cultural understanding, and the transformative power of art in fostering dialogue across different worlds.
