Currently on display at Nanda Hobbs Gallery in Sydney, Corroboration Nation is Blak Douglas’s first major exhibition in about a decade. Talking to NITV Radio, the artist explained that his long absence from the exhibition’s scene was voluntary.
“I decided that I needed to go away and refine what I did; just spend some solo time creating and finetuning my product.”
Wile he avoided major exhibitions Blak Douglas, nevertheless, entered major awards in which his work was often shortlisted among the finalists like the Archibald Prize, or went on to win prestigious accolades including the Kilmore Prize
Blak Douglas also revealed how he coined the name Corroboration Nation and how the exhibition is structured.
A set of 12 paintings featuring Black ballerinas form the main part of Corroboration Nation. He says that out of all the items in the exhibition these 12 paintings encapsulate the message that he is seeking to convey.
“All of my artwork is a play on words, often very quirky with their puns. I like the word corroboration because it means get together and work together. it is also very close to the word corroboree, an Aboriginal ceremony in the NSW region.”
Blak Douglas further explained that Corroboration Nation is a tribute to the Black women who have taken on the mantle of the fight for Black People’s rights especially in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.
“It is my knee jerk reaction to the energy of the BLM movement in that let’s look at what happened since the inception of colonisation. Sovereignty…”
Key points:
Blak Douglas’s knee-jerk reaction to Blak Lives Matter protests
Preeminent role played by Blak women in Blak Lives Matter protests
Colonisation and sovereignty that was never ceded.
