Biography
Makeda Duong is a visual artist living and working on Kaurna land. Since graduating from the South Australian School of Art in 2013 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, she has participated in several group and two solo exhibitions, locally and interstate, undertaken a residency at Nexus Arts, and taken part in advisory work with Guildhouse. She has also participated in two mentorships, with local artists Sera Waters as part of a Helpmann Academy emerging artist mentorship, and with Cheryl Hutchens as part of the Nexus Arts Residency. Her work has been acquired by the Adelaide Migration Museum, and she was the winner of the 2020 Don Dunstan Foundation SALA Award, and the 2022 Gallery M Contemporary Art Prize. Her current practice attempts to unravel and represent aspects of her lived experience in relation to themes such as race, gender, and mental health.
Artist Statement
My practice is informed by the history of textiles in the western world, and how the materiality of the medium can be used to convey deeply personal experiences. I create artworks as antidotes to personal challenges within my life, in order to bring attention to these particular issues. Some of these challenges include mental illness, struggles with racial identity, belonging and the social friction that comes with it. I represent my lived experience in order to move beyond stereotypes and shallow misconceptions. If something bothers me or plagues me, I am driven to make work about it. While these works tend to be introspective, they aren't devoid of humour. They invite the viewer to examine their own social assumptions and biases, or possibly to commiserate in a shared experience.
Artist Statement
My practice is informed by the history of textiles in the western world, and how the materiality of the medium can be used to convey deeply personal experiences. I create artworks as antidotes to personal challenges within my life, in order to bring attention to these particular issues. Some of these challenges include mental illness, struggles with racial identity, belonging and the social friction that comes with it. I represent my lived experience in order to move beyond stereotypes and shallow misconceptions. If something bothers me or plagues me, I am driven to make work about it. While these works tend to be introspective, they aren't devoid of humour. They invite the viewer to examine their own social assumptions and biases, or possibly to commiserate in a shared experience.
