At PICA we recognise that we are situated within the unceded lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We pay our respects and offer our gratitude to Elders past and present. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the importance of their care and continued connection to culture, community and Country.

Always was, always will be.

Galleries are closed for install. Join us for PICA After Hours: Opening Night on Friday 16 October. Our exhibitions are always free.

Muriel Hillion Toulcanon, Ash Tower, Emily Rose

Open Studios: Kambarang

Open Studios: Kambarang

Join us this Kambarang season for our final PICA Open Studio event of the year, an evening with current artists-in-residence Muriel Hillion Toulcanon, Ash Tower and Emily Rose, in conversation with PICA Curator, Georgia Hayward.

Choreographer Muriel Hillion Toulcanon explores stories of treasure, rebellion and freedom through performance, considering how histories are carried across oceans and generations. Hyper Local resident Ash Tower considers church architecture, divination and historical accounts of stellar events in Australia, investigating the enduring influence of imperial and Enlightenment ideals on Australian cultural and institutional structures. Noongar/Yamatji artist Emily Rose draws on research into motherhood, birthing and ancestral lives, exploring the history of laws that required Aboriginal families to seek written approval to marry. 

In conversation with Georgia Hayward, these artists will reflect on their individual projects, experiences in residence and the connections emerging between their practices. 

Schedule
6–7pm: Artists in conversation
7:30pm: Studios close 

Entry is free, light refreshments will be provided.

About the artists

Georgia Hayward (she/her) is an artist, writer and arts worker of Mardigan/Maranganji and Anglo-Celtic descent. Based in Boorloo, Georgia works as the Curator for the Perth Institute of Creative Arts (PICA). Prior to this, she was based in Meanjin (Brisbane) where she was the Director at Outer Space, a non-for-profit contemporary arts organisation focused on supporting the ambitious development and professionalised practice of emerging, early and mid-career artists. Georgia is also a Board Member for un Projects, an experimental art platform.

Muriel Hillion Toulcanon is a Réunionese-Australian multidisciplinary artist, researcher and cultural leader pioneering Maloya music and dance in Australia. Based in Perth, she is the founder and artistic director of Salama, an ensemble dedicated to sharing and reimagining the living traditions of Réunion Island through contemporary performance. Maloya was born out of slavery in the seventeenth century, banned until 1981 and is recognised today for its role in cultural resilience and truth-telling. Muriel completed the first doctoral research on Maloya at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2022, exploring the transmission of this ancestral art form through voice, movement, rhythm and storytelling. Her work connects research, performance and community engagement, strengthening intercultural dialogue. 

Emily Rose is a mother, visionary and fourth generation Noongar/Yamatji artist. She’s committed to fostering generational change, promoting unity and creating beautiful things for the benefit of those that lie forever in her heart of hearts: her children. An award-winning, multi-disciplinary artist, Emily’s work spans oil painting, weaving and ephemeral art‚ exploring themes of memory, natural order and the interwoven narratives of Country. Emily’s art exists at the intersection of tradition and innovation, paying homage to cultural knowledge while expanding the horizons of contemporary Indigenous art. Continuing a legacy where hands have woven, painted and carved stories, Emily’s work celebrates her ancestors’ resilience but more importantly through her own lived experiences she strives to build a transformed future for her daughter and beyond. 

Ash Tower (he/him) is an artist and researcher now working on Whadjuk Country in Western Australia. He is a Samstag Scholar (2024–25), a Churchie Emerging Art Prize Finalist (2023) and an ACE Studio Resident (2022). He recently returned from a fellowship at the British School at Rome, and he has exhibited internationally, notably in Italy and Japan. In 2019, Tower received a Ph.D. by Research from the School of Art, Architecture and Design, University of South Australia, after graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Art (Honours), from the Adelaide Central School of Art in 2014. 

 

Supporters

PICA’s Studio Program is supported by PICA’s Art Ambassadors. Our events are supported by our Community Engagement Partner, City of Perth.

City of Perth