Kaiela Arts Editions Project: Maree Clarke & Spacecraft

Kaiela Arts has announced the launch of Kaiela Arts Editions, a landmark collaboration between internationally acclaimed artist Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti, Yorta Yorta, Boonwurrung, Wamba Wamba) and Melbourne-based studio Spacecraft.

Based on Yorta Yorta Country in Shepparton, Victoria, the Aboriginal art centre will unveil the new works in November at two special events hosted at Kaiela Arts, Shepparton, and Spacecraft, Melbourne.

Kaiela Arts Editions is a new initiative expanding creative and commercial opportunities for First Nations artists. The inaugural release features an exclusive limited edition of 40 hand-printed works on archival paper and 10 glass silkscreen prints created by Clarke, a pivotal figure in the reclamation of southeast Australian Aboriginal art practices.

“Kaiela Arts Editions marks a new direction for the centre. By inviting leading artists like Clarke to collaborate, the program expands creative and commercial opportunities for First Nations artists, supports a new screen-printing program in Shepparton, and offers collectors the rare opportunity to acquire exclusive works that directly sustain cultural practice and community-led futures,” says Chloe Jones, Curator, Kaiela Arts.

The inaugural release draws inspiration from Clarke’s revitalisation of traditional river reed necklaces, focusing on the reed through a microscopic lens. Rooted in her time on Yorta Yorta Country and her ongoing dialogue with community, artists and Elders, the editions embody the deep cultural memory, materiality, and connection to place that continue to define Clarke’s practice.

“It’s so important to pass on cultural knowledge. It’s who you are, where you’re from. Every new work is about recreating culture in a positive, respectful way – reviving practices not seen for generations and passing that knowledge on,” says artist Maree Clarke.

Printed by Spacecraft, the works use ochres and charcoal collected from Barmah and Cummeragunja, embedding deep cultural and material connections to Country. Commenting on the collaboration Stewart Russell, founder of Spacecraft Melbourne, says, “Working together with Kaiela Arts and Maree has been a deeply rewarding process. At Spacecraft we’re committed to enabling artists’ visions through printmaking, and this project has allowed us to honour both traditional knowledge and contemporary practice.”

The release of Maree Clarke’s editions will be celebrated with two special launch events on 20 November 2025 at Kaiela Arts in Shepparton and on 21 November 2025 at Spacecraft in Melbourne.

Works will be available exclusively through Kaiela Arts’ gallery, with all funds raised supporting a new screen-printing program in Shepparton.

Launch events

• Shepparton: Thursday 20 November 2025, Kaiela Arts (Shepparton Art Museum)
• Melbourne: Friday 21 November 2025, Spacecraft Melbourne

More information: kaielaarts.org.au

*Supported by Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS), Creative Victoria and Greater Shepparton City Council, Kaiela Arts Editions strengthens truth-telling, intergenerational practice, and the revitalisation of southeast Australian Aboriginal art.