Photo by Meg Hansen. Courtesy of the artist and Mimili Maku Arts.
Robert Fielding will give an artist talk in the context of his exhibition Tjukurpa | Handle It on Saturday September 27 from 1:30 – 2:30 pm. Please register for the artist talk to reserve your spot. Following the talk we will host a welcome reception for Robert from 2:30 – 4pm. Join us for the opportunity to engage with Robert, learn more about his work, and offer him a warm welcome.
Robert Fielding is undertaking an artist residency at Kluge-Ruhe from September 24- October 15, 2025. He is a contemporary artist of Western Arrernte, Yankunytjatjara, Pakistani, and Afghan descent who lives in the community of Mimili on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Robert combines strong cultural roots with contemporary views on the tensions between community life and global concerns. He confidently moves across different mediums forming a meeting point for different narratives to come together and connect with each other. His practice includes new media, painting, and traditional craftsmanship.
Fielding’s work is rooted in his personal experience of reclaiming culture as a son of the Stolen Generations. He has spent extended periods of time connecting with Australia’s major cultural institutions, while concurrently learning from his Elders on the APY Lands. This personal history brings a uniquely potent perspective to his work, which offers a reminder that many cultural practices are stronger than ever today, while also noticing traditions worn down or destroyed by white intervention. His work is a stern truthtelling and a reconciliatory call for unity simultaneously, constantly bridging perceived opposites, creating new connections and community around him. Through residencies at Canberra Glassworks (2023) and McClelland Sculpture Park (2023), Robert continues to deepen his relationships with peers throughout Australia, always generously inviting collaboration and co-creation.
Robert celebrated his first international solo exhibition at Fondation Opale in Switzerland in late 2018. In 2022, he was featured as part of the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. In 2024, Robert held a major survey show of his recently developed print portfolio at Maitland Regional Art Gallery. He guest lectured at the Victorian College of the Arts as part of the Stuart Black Fellowship, and is the 2025 recipient of the University of South Australia Jeffrey Smart Commission at the Samstag Museum of Art.