Radical Futures

RADICAL FUTURES: BOLD INTENTIONS CURATED BY WIGGY MITSUDA

Exhibition Partners for Radical Futures: Bold Intentions

The WA Regional Arts Triennial 3: Radical Futures is proudly supported by the WA Government. It is coordinated by Southern Forest Arts with support from ART ON THE MOVE through the Regional Exhibition Touring Boost. Project partners include John Curtin Gallery, Regional Arts WA, GalleriesWest and Kimberley Arts Network.

The future is not a distant notion - it is a living, breathing possibility shaped by the hands, hearts and imaginations of regional artists. Every three years the Regional Arts Triennial unfolds anew, as a constellation of regionally-led exhibitions responding to a shared thematic inquiry. This iteration, ‘Radical Futures’, showcases the creative infrastructure of tomorrow- built by those same hands, hearts and minds from across vast and varied landscapes of Western Australia. Each of the 13 exhibitions, spanning more than 2.5 million square kilometres, forms a vital refractor in a kaleidoscope of lived regional experience.

From the Kimberley to the Great Southern, from the desert to the coast, ‘Radical Futures’ is not a single story, but a chorus of voices- each rooted in place, each imagining a better tomorrow. Geraldton, Carnamah, Mingenew and Northampton’s contribution, ‘Radical Futures: Bold Intentions’ is the Mid West’s integral offering to this statewide tapestry. Here, artists respond not only to the challenges of their time, but ask: what bold intentions must we hold to move beyond them? This exhibition, and the Triennial at large, is a key mechanism for empowering regional artists to maintain creative authority over their own narratives, their own futures. Mid West artists have created exceptional works for this region- born of collaboration, precision and courage. They speak to the lived realities of the Mid West: its beauty, its complexity, its resilience. Their works are both grounded and expansive, personal and communal, offering visions that stretch beyond limitation and into possibility. The intent of ‘Radical Futures’ is to create space for artists to lead, to dream and to share. To de-centre ourselves and re-centre community. To honour First Nations sovereignty. To embrace collective imagination as a fundamental and radical act. With deep thanks to the generative care and innovation of Mid West regional curator Wiggy Mitsuda, the theme has been met here with generosity and depth. This exhibition is not just a showcase - it is a declaration. A chapter in a collective novel written across this vast land. A reminder that the future is not something we wait for - it is something we shape, together.

SARAH ROOTS Lead Curator, Radical Futures

When I was asked by Briony Bray (coordinator of the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery) to take on the role of curator, I really had no idea what I was saying yes to. As soon as work began on the project, I realised the scope of the task ahead, and I felt honoured and humbled to be given such a responsibility – to work with a diverse group of artists in order to showcase what it means to live in the Mid West region, through the lens of the project’s overarching curatorial vision: ‘Radical Futures’. ‘Bold Intentions’ is the Mid West’s contribution to The Regional Arts Triennial, a state-wide initiative connecting over one hundred artists in thirteen exhibitions. The artists working with ‘Bold Intentions’ have approached their practices both individually and collaboratively, coming together to find common frames of reference. Recognising our history, as well as being present in the space that we currently occupy, is a way to construct the scaffolding we use to build the future. Here in the Mid West I feel we are well placed for a positive future, with our ability to thrive in sometimes difficult conditions. Ensuring a radical future requires that we take care of each other, with respect for all people and for the environment around us.

Road trip and gallery visit to Carnamah and Mingenew.

Pictured: Briony Bray, Wiggy Mitsuda, and Cam Fitzgerald.

Being a yoga teacher for most of my life, I understand the importance of self-study, the importance of courageously setting intentions while being informed by ancient knowledges, still relevant and necessary in today’s world. I am very privileged to be able to present this group of artists who have worked hard for many months, and who have endured my intrusions throughout this project. Within this exhibition we see dedications to Country and its seasons, the cyclical journey of the natural world lived on by ancestors and re-affirmed in present time. We see odes to the ocean, to soil, and warnings of how humans can impact the ecology of our planet. We see borrowing from the past to re-interpret an artificially intelligent future. We see bees, honey and pollination, fibres and skins, seed pods, ochres, the connective tissues that weave the past and future together. It is my pleasure to introduce these artists to you.

The stories alive in their work are all reflections of the intent of their practices. What better way to imagine a radical future than through art.

WIGGY MITSUDA Emerging Curator, Bold Intentions

Mina Elliott

Mina Elliott is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in her experiences growing up in the regional town of Geraldton Western Australia (Jambinu). The natural world, particularly the ocean environment, has been a source of inspiration for Mina. Living in close proximity to the sea has shaped her creative vision, allowing her to express her passions through art. Mina often works with watercolour, appreciating their fluidity and capacity to evoke the ever-changing moods of nature. Frequently embracing mixed media techniques to explore different textures and layers, reflecting the complexity of the world around us. Her paintings are an intimate dialogue with the landscape, whether it’s the waves of the ocean, the colours of the reef, or the delicate ecosystems that she observes in the environment. In 2024 Mina was honoured to receive a Highly Commended award at the GENESIS Exhibition (Geraldton High School Students), a recognition that has fuelled her dedication to creating work that connects people to the natural world. The ocean is central to Mina’s existence and her art an invitation to reflect on its beauty, fragility and the need for preservation.

My work is an exploration of the fragile beauty of the natural world, specifically inspired by Scott Reef and the vibrant , yet threatened marine ecosystems that surround it. Using a combination of mixed media, watercolour and ceramics I aim to convey the intense colours and vitality of coral reefs, while also addressing the harsh reality of human impact on these delicate environments. The use of watercolours allows me to capture the fleeting vibrancy of the reef - the hues that breathe life into the underwater world. I have incorporated tactile man-made elements to frame my pieces, invoking the human influence on the landscape. The goggles featured in my work symbolise the lens through which we view this environmental crisis - suggesting that we are often distanced from the reality, viewing the damage from above, unaware of the devastation below the surface. One of the core elements of my work is the gradual fading of colour into white, a visual representation of coral bleaching and the slow death of these ecosystems. This transition from vibrant life to lifelessness mirrors the ongoing decline of reef systems, the white spaces signifying the loss of colour and life that so many reefs have suffered. The stark contrast highlights the urgency of addressing the effects of climate change and pollution.

Reminding us that this crisis is unfolding just below the surface often unnoticed. Through this series I aim to challenge the viewer to reflect on their role in preserving the environment, to recognise the gradual but devastating impact we have on the world's oceans and to inspire action before it is too late.

Tymia Councillor

Tymia Councillor is a budding visual artist based in Carnamah WA. Tymia’s preferred media is acrylic on canvas, although she has begun to branch out into photography as a second media. Tymia’s work often explores the rich culture of the Aboriginal people, to foster understanding and appreciation. Her recent works reflect the concept of cultural awareness and how that by understanding Aboriginal culture and the past we are able to build a better future for new generations and the land on which we live, inspired also by the ‘Radical Futures’ theme. Tymia’s art is mainly based on her Indigenous culture and background, and she has been commissioned for her Indigenous art in the past. Tymia’s work is available to see online.

These artworks are my interpretation of the six indigenous seasons. Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba, and Kambarang. I chose this concept for my art because it’s a part of my culture that you can see happening everyday, that you get to admire and be fascinated by each day. The artworks are acrylic paint on canvas, each piece took a few weeks over a five month period to complete. The individual colours on each canvas is mixed by hand, often taking an hour or two at a time to produce.

The changing of the seasons is almost invisible unless you know what the signs are, what to look for. That’s what I hope to do through these works, to show others how my ancestors knew when to migrate from one place to another, what food sources were in abundance and where. How through these seasons they lived off the land for thousands of years before Western colonisation.

Cam Fitzgerald

Cam is an artist whose practice grows from a lifelong curiosity about how things work in nature, in people and in the quiet systems that hold both together. With an early love of biology and making she has always approached learning through doing. After returning to art later in life she began a focused journey to rebuild her drawing skills and understand why certain ideas resonated so deeply.

This ongoing exploration continues to shape a practice grounded in observation, reflection and discovery.

Drawing remains Cam’s most direct way of thinking.

From her semi-rural studio she works with simple materials to explore the relationship between human behaviour, the natural environment and the shifting ideals of society. Her drawings often begin as spontaneous notations that grow into layered reflections on connection, balance and belonging.

Beyond her own studio practice, Cam values collaboration and community. She contributes to creative projects and public art initiatives that invite others to see how art can connect us, revealing beauty, empathy and possibility in everyday experience.

Echoes of the Future Exploring how fragments of thought, memory and landscape fold together to reveal unexpected continuities. Each layer speaks to the next like a quiet conversation between unseen hands, forming a larger story. Folding is not simply a technique but a transformation that turns surface into structure and idea into form.

‘Echoes of the Future’ imagines how natural and constructed worlds might coexist, balancing tension between flatness and depth, openness and concealment. Within the ‘Bold Intentions’ theme, the work reflects on how imagination can shape new ways of seeing and being. Each folded piece becomes a small architecture of possibility, a reminder that the future is not built from nothing but from overlooked fragments already waiting to unfold.

Mark Miragliotta

Based in the Mid West of Western Australia, Mark is a passionate educator and artist. He has accumulated twenty plus years of experience in Senior Secondary Visual Arts education and is proficient in the delivery of ATAR, general and VET courses of Visual Art and graphic design. His own art documents the life and culture of his home in the Mid West of Western Australia, Australia and South East Asia.

How many ‘bold intentions’ have been the inspirations for future intentions? Our generations are built upon this rhythmic push of human endeavour. Inspiration is half of what is ‘gifted’ by the inspirer, and half of what is ‘borrowed’ by the inspired. This reciprocal ‘passing on’ of legacy, is also reflective in the art that each generation produces.

Art repeats itself over time. As art evolves and manifests in society at that particular time, the weight of what it was before is ever present. Originality and creativity rely on the dust of past ideas that are found like DNA in all artwork. Appropriation is not just an art technique. Borrowing from the past and applying this to the context of now [contemporary] is integral to the process of art making. The ‘sample’ subculture of contemporary music in the last few decades has shaped and defined the sounds we hear now. Does this limit contemporary music’s future to the depth of the ‘sample bucket’ that it borrows from? AI has a mind-boggling depth of digital past from which it uses to re-interpret, create and make. The success of which is measured in its universal usage.

Maybe this is the ultimate extent of appropriation and borrowing from the past? Does AI have bold intentions?

William Pike

William is an emerging artist who was born in Geraldton (Jambinu) and grew up on his family’s farm in Chapman Valley. William has always had an interest in expressing himself creatively. From a young age, he loved to draw and design, plus experiment with materials in his dad’s shed, bringing his ideas to life.

William started his scrap metal journey by sourcing materials from across the Mid West, including from old family sheds and farm rubbish piles. In his trade as a boilermaker, he has refined his skills. He has received many private commissions from friends and family. In 2024/25 the Chapman Valley Country Music Festival commissioned William to design an award trophy for the Emerging Artist Award. In 2024, he was invited by the City of Greater Geraldton to create an artwork for the ‘Pets of Summer’ ephemeral exhibition, which was showcased at Christmas on the Terrace and exhibited at Geraldton Aquarena. This was William’s first largescale piece, and he was the winner of the People’s Choice Award for this exhibition.

My inspiration comes from the humble bee. A symbol of hard work, diligence, community and the cycle of life.

The humble bee is a future eco-warrior. In a world where ecosystems are under threat and plant diversity is at risk, the bee has a vital role, particularly within the WA landscape. My sculpture aims to bring awareness to the plight of the humble bee and the deadly varroa mite. I want people to slow down and contemplate the future disaster which is looming.

The recycled steel that I have used represents the strength and durability of a bee community. My welds are the links which demonstrate the interconnectivity of life. My trade as a boilermaker has taught me to appreciate the beauty in bringing together many parts of something old to create something with meaning and purpose.

From early concept drawings, to the creation of my work, I have considered the remoteness of the WA landscape as a biodiversity ark and how important it is that we protect this as a sanctuary for the humble bee.

Helen Reynolds

With strong rural roots and deep connections to the land, watching time and nature shape the landscape is where Helen gathers inspiration. Soil, metal, wood, fibres and cloth are candidates for erosion and change.

She uses these elements to communicate through her art pieces. Dying, printing, manipulating and stitching these works resonates with her links to the land.

Emphasising women on the land and the feminine code of stitch, she makes art that is meaningful to her. It also connects her life as a farmer’s daughter, a farmer’s wife, a mother whose sons work in agriculture and a member of the rural community. Helen’s journey of embracing the land, art and her community continues to grow while living in the small farming town of Northampton north of Geraldton, Naaguja country.

What Lies Beneath The earth speaks in layers-quietly, slowly, deeply. It holds stories older than us - we just need to listen.

‘What Lies Beneath’ is an invitation into that conversation. It rises from the soil itself, transforming the raw materials of existence into a visual language that connects us to what sustains us. Too often, this bond with the land is forgotten and neglected - buried beneath the noise of modern life. Through my soil sculptures, I seek to awaken memory, reverence and humility: to remind us that the ground we walk on is alive, breathing and essential to our survival. We need to take care of it for all future generations.

Leah Vlatko

Leah is a textile artist and educator who has been living and working in Jambinu (Geraldton) on Amangu country for over five years. She was born on Wongatha country (Coolgardie) and regional Western Australia has always been important to Leah.

Leah’s artwork plays with traditional understandings of ‘craft’ and incorporates crochet, embroidery, weaving and community practice. Themes of native flora, considerations of colour and connection to place are significant in her practice.

Connective Tissue Connective tissue: tissue that connects, supports, binds or separates. Each piece starts with the branch found on the ground (usually helped by my toddler) and I spend time considering which little pockets of space I feel invited to fill. Crocheting between tree limbs feels like a conversation with nature. Thinking about the age of the tree and the history it has witnessed. Feeling a kind of vertigo when I place myself in the context of the ecosystems around us.

Imagining a future where relationships with our natural environment are intentional and founded on listening rather than dictating. Finding space for bold little meditations in hope.

Yamaji Art

Yamaji Art is the longest operating Aboriginal Art Centre in the Mid West region. Yamaji Art provide professional services for artists with a focus on sustaining cultural maintenance and arts practice in a variety of mediums including painting, textiles, weaving, print-making, design and performance.

Artists represented by Yamaji Art in this exhibition: Nicole Dickerson, Sheryl Green, Jennifer Green, Andrea Green-Ugle, Glenda Jackamarra, Margaret Whitehurst, Lily-mae Kerley, Roni Kerley Artists pictured: Roni Kerley (above) and Lily-mae Kerley (below)

The artwork made collectively by Yamaji Art membership artists brings together fabric, paper, beads, paint and natural materials from Country to create over-scaled body adornments. Bold and sculptural, the work honours ancestors, celebrates community, and brings traditional practices to life in a contemporary way. By drawing together natural and handcrafted material the work creates a dialogue between past, present, and the possibility of radical futures.

Amanda Forward

Predominately a visual artist, Amanda uses film to capture the essence of creative moments. A companion in the process, in which she gets to experience the soul of her subject at ground level. Through her lens, capturing authentic and intimate encounters with people and place and then bringing back to her studio gallery, an Artist with a camera.

Exhibition Dates

‘Radical Futures: Bold Intentions’ will tour in the Mid West region, launching on 14 February 2026, at The Bank Gallery, Carnamah.

The Bank Gallery and The Exchange + Gallery Opening 14 February 2026 12 February - 17 April 2026 The Bank Gallery: 8 Macpherson Street, Carnamah The Exchange and Gallery: 50 Midlands Rd Mingenew WA 6522 The Hampton Gallery Opening 4 July 2026 4 July - 31 July 2026 189 Hampton Rd, Northampton WA 6535 Geraldton Regional Art Gallery Opening 25 September 2026 26 September - 22 November 2026 24 Chapman Road, Geraldton 6530 WA