close to the wind is a new body of work that celebrates Lisa Waup’s sustained exploration of printmaking. Investigating new inks and printing techniques, she has revealed an intuitive process that eloquently illustrates her life’s journey of discovery and connection. Her practice is concerned with the hidden histories of Australia, often referencing the ongoing impacts of colonization and the layers of colonial intervention that continue to impact First Peoples and the environment.
A significant element in Waup’s practice is the First Nation’s concept of Country. This extends to the spiritual and cultural aspects of the land, encompassing the sky and waterways and our individual responsibilities to the native plants and wildlife. The natural environment is a grounding element in her work, in which she encourages a narrative of respect, engagement, and activism.
For Waup, motherhood, family, and Country are connected because the act of making allows her to unite histories of dispossession with the strength and resilience of First Nations families, including her own. Incorporating found and historical materials, she addresses the hidden histories First Peoples have held alone. Weaving in objects that may have otherwise been discarded, she gives them a voice.
close to the wind is a personal exploration of her life experiences and in many ways her works could be defined as self-reflection. Though her stories are not always unique, they are her own. By creating this work, Waup shares with her audience the importance of deep listening, being present, and advocating for family and Country.
— Hannah Presley, Guest Curator
Lisa Waup spent a month-long residency at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, March 8 – April 7, 2024. Waup delivered programs involving students, visiting curators and artists, and local residents.
Prior to taking up her residency, Waup spent several days in Washington D.C. visiting art museums and cultural sites with Darwin-based artist, Karen Mills (Balanggarra).
During the first week of the residency, Waup participated in the Curating Indigenous Printmaking workshop hosted by Kluge-Ruhe and UVA’s Department of Art and sponsored by the Getty Foundation through The Paper Project. The workshop introduced twelve First Nations curators working in the U.S. and Australia to a significant collection of prints by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists donated to Kluge-Ruhe by Australian master printer Basil Hall.
Waup spent time at the Virginia Center for the Book working with Basil Hall and fellow artist, Karen Mills, to produce a series of collagraph prints.
Lisa Waup is a mixed-cultural First Nations artist and curator who was born in Narrm (Melbourne). Her multidisciplinary practice encompasses a diverse range of media, including weaving, printmaking, photography, sculpture, fashion, and digital art. With a deep connection to the symbolic power of materials, her work reflects her personal experiences, family history, Country, and broader historical narratives. Through her practice, Waup weaves together threads of lost history, ancestral relationships, motherhood, and the passage of time that culminates in contemporary expressions that speak to her past, present, and future. In her words, “As a multidisciplinary artist, I’m guided to utilize so many different mediums—they really talk to me—and in turn they’re able to explain my story in different ways, they all connect with each other. Material diversity is a big part of what I do in my practice—I’m happy to move across various media and am always open to exploring new materials and approaches that connect to the work I am making at the time.”
To view the artwork labels and wall text for the exhibition, click the link below:
close to the wind is supported by Creative Australia and the Vice Provost for the Arts.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website contains the names and images of deceased people.
