Artwork by Maree Clarke at narrm ngarrgu library and family services

Opening on 25 November 2023, in the Queen Victoria Market precinct, the narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services recognises and celebrates Melbourne’s First Nations community. Alongside other makers and creators, artist Maree Clarke (Mutti Mutti/Wamba Wamba/Yorta Yorta/Boonwurrung) made a significant contribution to the space, including:

• images from Maree’s black and white photograph series from the early 1990s. Digitised by the Living Archive project
• a carpet representing the seven seasons of the Kulin Nation
• a mirrored glass forest passageway
• a six metre eel trap with a three metre flute for children to interact with
• a watercolour carpet with maps of the Kulin Nation over the top
• a cast of her husband Nicholas Hovington’s (palawa) coolamon for smoking ceremonies

The City of Melbourne has created a video of the space, which includes footage of Maree talking about her work. The video can be viewed here.

Image credit: Vivian Anderson, Vivian Anderson Gallery website.