River reed canoe
2024
Medium
river reed, earth pigments
Measurements
64.0 × 62.5 × 543.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Country Road for the Country Road + NGV First Nations Commissions, 2024
© Mitch Mahoney, courtesy the artist and Vivien Anderson Gallery
Gallery location
Gallery 5
Level 2, NGV Australia
About this work
Mitch Mahoney is actively involved in reviving Boonwurrung and Barkindji cultural practices alongside his aunt and cultural mentor, Maree Clarke. River reed canoe forms part of a larger installation acknowledging his Boonwurrung and Barkandji connections, respectively. Mahoney has explained that River reed canoe honours his family’s Palawa connection to Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural leader and warrior Mannalargenna (c. 1770–1835). To create River reed canoe, he collaborated with his uncle, Palawa man Nicholas Hovington, to collect river reeds and build the canoe. The work also acknowledges Clarke and her signature practice of river reed necklace making.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Melbourne, Victoria
Accession Number
2024.173
Department
First Nations Australia