Clinton Nain b. 1971 Carlton, Melbourne, VIC

  • Artist (Video Artist), (Textile Artist / Fashion Designer), (Installation Artist), (Painter), (Performance Artist)
An indigenous dancer, performer and storyteller, Nain is also a painter and installation artist whose work explores the impact of European settlement on the indigenous nations of Australia. Challenging the white male dominant view of history, Nain's work takes the particular perspective of the black and the feminine.
Talk | Version history | Updated Oct. 19, 2011 | Created Jan. 1, 2006
Name
Clinton Nain
Birth date
1971
Birth place
Carlton, Melbourne, VIC
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Artist (Video Artist)
  • Artist (Textile Artist / Fashion Designer)
  • Artist (Installation Artist)
  • Artist (Painter)
  • Artist (Performance Artist)
Residence
  • Melbourne, VIC
Other Occupation
  • Dancer
  • Choreographer
Active Period
  • 1985-
Languages
  • English
Training
  • 2001- 2003 Master of Fine Arts (Research), College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
  • 1992- 1994 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, VIC
  • 1990- 1991 Advanced Certificate of the Arts, Northern Metropolitan College of TAFE, Melbourne, VIC
Is Indigenous
Yes
Initial Record Data Source
  • Twenty: Sherman Galleries 1986 - 2006

Born 1971, Carlton, Victoria, of the Meriam Mer, Erub, Ugar peoples of the Torres Strait and the Ku Ku people of far North Queensland
Since obtaining his Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) at the Victorian College of the Arts (1992-94) and Master of Fine Art (Research) at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales (2001-03), Clinton Nain has established a significant place in the critical debates of contemporary Australian art.
Nain’s work confronts the continuing injustices suffered by the Indigenous peoples of Australia. His powerful symbolism evokes the wounds of dispossession – of country, culture and language – which lie at the heart of those who once were masters of their own destinies. Recurring images, such as his mother’s mission dress and the potholed road leading to her grave, point both to family loss and the ever-painful journey towards reconciliation and healing.
In 1999, Nain began his 'White King, Blak Queen’ series exploring colonisation through a black feminine perspective. Through performance, storytelling and staining fabrics with bleach, the Blak Queen boldly quests for equality. Nain explored these ideas further in his 2001 exhibition, 'Whitens, Removes Stains, Kills Germs’.
The artist’s brother, writer John Harding, has said: 'The Blak Queen is omnipotent, knows no boundaries and recognises no colonising fences. She has even transformed herself into a bird and flown out a window! She can turn everyday household items into weapons against colonisation and the fading of memory. Her splashes of bleach become evocative images of lingering memories, prodding us to remember the truth.’ (Melbourne, 2001)
Nain’s work remains uncompromising. Bitumen, house paint and varnish are now his principal mediums. His exhibitions – 'Living Under the Bridge’ (2003), 'The Dirty Deal Ain’t Clean’ (2005), 'A E I O U’ (2006) and 'Hurdy Gurdy (Wrong Way Around)’ (2007) – target the ongoing marginalisation of many Aboriginal people and communities in Australia. Following the national apology to the Stolen Generations, Nain’s plea is for us to listen to the voices of the most vulnerable in seeking resolution. 'What we artists create’, he says, 'is for everyone in the world.’

Writers:
Murray-Cree, Laura
Date written:
2006
Last updated:
2008
associate of
Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin, NT
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Collections
Hurdy Gurdy (Wrong Way Round)
2007
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Sherman Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
Celebrating Aboriginal Rights?
2007
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Macquarie University Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
A E I O U
2006
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Landmarks
2006
Exhibition ()
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
The Dirty Deal Ain't Clean
2005
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Sherman Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
Clinton Nain
2005
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin, NT
http://www.karenbrowngallery.com/exhibitions/508.htm
SOLO
Paper Chase
2005
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Embark on this journey, Dancelines: Contemporary Indigenous Art Inspired by Bangarra Dance Theatre
2005
Exhibition (exhibited at)
The Arts Centre, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Where's Jemima, L'art urbain du Pacifique
2005
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Saint-Auvent Castle, Limosin, France
Performance & exhibition
Our Place: Indigenous Australia Now
2004
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece
Masters of COFA
2004
Exhibition (exhibited at)
College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Sydney, NSW
You Never Said Thank You!
2004
Exhibition (exhibited at)
138 Lygon St, Brunswick, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Clinton Nain
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin, NT
SOLO
An Indigenous COFA Presence
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Beneath the Monsoon: Visions North of Capricorn
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Artspace, Mackay, QLD
ALSO TOURED: Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns, Qld; Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Qld
Traditional Owners Ceremony
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne, VIC
Choreography and performance
Living Under the Bridge
2003
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Sherman Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
Post Mullet: New Australian Style
2002
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, NSW
What's Love Got To Do With It?
2002
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC
Artful Park
2002
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Centennial Parklands, Sydney, NSW
Whitens, Removes Stains, Kills Germs
2001
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Sherman Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
Bennett Nain Parr Tillers
2001
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Sherman Galleries, Sydney, NSW
Gatherings
2001
Exhibition ()
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, QLD
Heritage Colours
2000
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne, VIC
SOLO
The Bleack is Blak
2000
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide, SA
SOLO
White King Blak Queen
2000
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Brisbane Powerhouse, Live Arts, Brisbane, QLD
SOLO
Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival
2000
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
Bunjil: Creation Story
2000
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne Festival Opening, Melbourne, VIC
Choreography and performance
Beyond the Pale: Contemporary Indigenous Art
2000
Exhibition ()
Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art
Fiction Factory
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Project Space, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC
It Reigns White King, Midsumma
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Platform 2, The Thin Line, Melbourne, VIC
SOLO
Seven Days Seven Nights of Blak Magic
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
Mapping Our Countries
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Djamu Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Curated by Judy Watson and Paul Taçon
The Art of Place
1999- 2000
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Old Parliament House, Canberra, ACT
White King Blak Queen
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne, VIC
Installation & performance
Adornment
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Respect for Our Elders
1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Project Space, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Ilan Pasin (This is Our Way): Torres Strait Art
1998- 1999
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns, QLD
2 year touring exhibition: Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Qld; The Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne, Vic.; Tandanya: National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Qld; Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Campbelltown, NSW; National Archives of Australia, Canberra, ACT
Over My Blak Body
1998
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
Urban Dreaming Different Meaning
1998
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Project Space, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC
Black Roots
1998
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, Sydney, NSW
Mommy Dearest
1998
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Prince of Wales Hotel, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Brilliant Blackness
1998
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Open Season Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
SOLO
Primavera
1997
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
Pitched Blak
1997
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
SOLO
1967 - 1997: 30 Years On
1997
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Linden Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
I Had a Dream: Australian Art in the 1960s
1997
Exhibition ()
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
I Can't Sleep at Night
1996
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
Performance
We Iri-We Homeborn
1996
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Grand Central, Melbourne, VIC
Exhibition & performance
Nambundah Festival Exhibition
1996
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
Performance & solo exhibition
New Faces New Directions
1995
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
Blak City Culture
1994
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, VIC
3 year touring exhibition
Power of the Land
1994
Exhibition ()
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
http://www.ngv.gov.vic.au
St Kilda Pacific Arts Festival
1993
Exhibition (exhibited at)
St Kilda, Melbourne, VIC
Performance
Duality: A World Within
1993
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne, VIC
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Exhibition
1993
Exhibition (exhibited at)
World Trade Centre, New York, USA
Kitch'en Koori
1992
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne Fringe Festival, Melbourne, VIC
Koori Art Exhibition
1992
Exhibition (exhibited at)
La Trobe University Art Museum, Melbourne, VIC
Melbourne Fringe Festival
1990
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne, Vic.
Performance. ALSO 1993
Citations:
  • Murray-Cree, Laura, (2006), Twenty: Sherman Galleries 1986 - 2006, (Place: Craftsman House, Australia)