New Woman recognises the lives of Brisbane women artists over the past 100 years from the independent  and adventurous to the often overlooked, exploring the trailblazing women who have continued to take the lead in Brisbane art.

The exhibition presents a snapshot of the art, personal stories and enduring legacies of Brisbane’s most significant and ground-breaking women artists between 1920-2019 reflected in painting, photography, sculpture, performance and installation works on a scale never before seen.

Featuring artworks from more than 80 artists following each decade from Brisbane’s decreasing isolation, the introduction of new ideas of modernism and abstraction to internationally regarded contemporary works in a range of media. Brisbane’s unique geographic location has always provided its own idiosyncrasies due to its climate and distance from major world cultural centres and so necessitated a resourceful and close-knit arts community that fostered teachers, advocates and leaders in their fields, leaving in their wake a strong legacy for future generations.

Artists featured include Tracey Moffatt, Margaret Cilento, Gwendolyn Grant, Carol McGregor, Olive Ashworth, Judy Watson, Fiona Foley, Pamela See, Jay Younger, Davida Allen, James Barth, Megan Cope, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Naomi Blacklock, Courtney Coombs, Emma Coulter, Rachael Haynes and Elisa Jane Carmichael.

Images: New Woman exhibition at Museum of Brisbane. Photos: David Kelly.