Heide Museum of Modern Art has today announced a major exhibition developed in partnership with The Torch. Presented from 5 April to 20 July 2025, the exhibition Blak In-Justice: Incarceration and Resilience brings attention to the over-representation of Indigenous persons in prisons.

Curated by Kent Morris, himself an artist and finalist of the National Photography Prize 2020, the exhibition includes works by acclaimed First Nations artists alongside those up-and-coming, including: Richard Bell’s painting Walk On (Bell’s Theorem) that reworks words from the Old Testament to engage with the complex history of race relations in Australia; the major painting Brush with the Lore by Ngarrindjeri artist Trevor Nickolls, offering sharp social commentary on contemporary Aboriginal life; and Robby Wirramanda’s Walpa.

Kent Morris says, “This is a First Nations-developed and led project. The exhibition not only raises awareness of the mass incarceration of First Nations people but shines a light on what is being achieved to break the cycle of Indigenous imprisonment. The idea to present this exhibition in partnership with a major public museum has been formulating for many years and I greatly appreciate the support and enthusiasm from the Heide team for the project.

“By sharing the stories of those who have experienced incarceration and how connection to art and culture has provided trailblazing pathways to healing and self-determination, we hope that visitors to the exhibition become a part of the solution to this ongoing issue.”

Participating artists: Vernon Ah Kee; Tony Albert; Richard Bell; Gordon Bennett; Mia Boe; Trevor “Turbo” Brown; Ronald Bull; Robert Campbell Junior; Uncle Jack Charles; Destiny Deacon; Karla Dickens; Julie Dowling; Kevin Gilbert; Les Griggs; Ricky Maynard; Albert Namatjira; Trevor Nickolls; Jimmy Pike; Reko Rennie; Spinifex Gum feat. Briggs and Marliya; Gordon Syron; Judy Watson; Anwar Young; Unrupa Rhonda Dick; and Frank Young.

Artists from The Torch program: Angus Abdullah; Christopher Austin; Thelma Beeton; Melissa Bell; Felicity Chafer Smith; Daniel Church; Sonia Sadler; Stacey Edwards; C.Harrison; Jeffrey Jackson; Kim Kennedy; Thomas “Marksey” Marks; Sean Miller; S.Morrison; Keith Ritchie; Robby Wirramanda; and Raymond Young.

This exhibition is supported by Principal Partners, the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner, and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.