In Her Footsteps: A Tribute to Matrilineal Legacy brings together seven Australian artists who pay homage to the women who have shaped their lives—grandmothers, mothers, artistic matriarchs, leaders, ancestors and forebears. It celebrates and acknowledges the vital, transformative and nurturing pathways these women have forged, delving into themes of activism and empowerment through a compelling mix of new and existing works. 

The exhibition starts with Zali Morgan, a Whadjuk, Ballardong and Wilman Noongar artist, whose prints and textiles honour Yooreel Fanny Balbuk, a Whadjuk Noongar woman whose defiant walk along her traditional bidi (track) persisted amidst the encroaching colonialism that reshaped her Boorloo homelands. Lauren Burrow’s sculptures examine the radical life of eco-feminist Val Plumwood, underscoring her enduring legacy and its influence on contemporary artists and thinkers grappling with ecological accountability. Sarah Elson’s intricate sculptures evoke the earth as a nurturing mother, employing materials and collecting practices that speak to intergenerational connections to place. Tom Freeman’s distinctive paintings address personal family history, threading memory, nostalgia and connection. Darcey Bella Arnold has long worked with her mother Jennifer’s experience of living with aphasia, using painting and language to create poignant forms of memory-making.  And, Bidjara, Ghungalu and Garingbal artists D Harding and Kate Harding carry forward the cultural legacies of their matrilineal ties to the Carnarvon Gorge, working with textiles to honour significant personal experiences, weave stories and uphold cultural traditions. 

This group exhibition not only highlights the profound impact of these influential women but also invites audiences to engage with the rich and varied practices of Australian artists, offering insights into the intersections of culture, memory and identity.