Elisa Jane Carmichael, a search for meaning is to absorb the abundance of beauty in nature (detail), 2021. Fish scales and talwalpin (cotton tree). Image courtesy the artist and Onespace Gallery, Brisbane © the artist. Photograph: Louis Lim.
Primavera: Young Australian Artists is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s annual exhibition showcasing the work of Australian artists aged 35 years and under. The exhibition was initiated in 1992 by the MCA in collaboration with Dr Edward Jackson AM and Mrs Cynthia Jackson AM, in memory of their talented and creative daughter Belinda.
Since its inception, the exhibition has celebrated the achievements of Australian artists in the early stages of their careers and fulfilled an important role in bringing younger artists to the attention of a wide audience. Each year the Primavera curator undertakes extensive research, travelling across the country to meet young artists.
In its 30th year, Primavera 2021: Young Australian Artists will be delivered by guest curator Hannah Presley. Participating artists Elisa Jane Carmichael (QLD), Dean Cross (NSW), Hannah Gartside (VIC), Sam Gold (SA), and Justine Youssef (NSW) explore materials that hold stories of the past and engage with techniques shared across generations, inviting new interpretations of the world around us.
About the curator
Hannah Presley is an Aboriginal curator and director at Agency, based in Narrm (Melbourne). Her curatorial process is guided by artists, learning about the techniques, history and community that inform their making. Recent curatorial projects include Observance at Buxton Contemporary (with Sam Comte), Big Weather at National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), and A Lightness of Spirit is the Measure of Happiness at Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA). Recent roles include Curator, Indigenous Art at NGV, inaugural Yalingwa Curator at ACCA, and First Nations Assistant Curator of Tracey Moffatt, My Horizon, 57th Venice Biennale.
SOURCE: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.