like blood thirsty mosquitoes

Like bloodthirsty mosquitoes presents two acute bodies of work by Jack Green and Alana Hunt, counterpointed to detail the range of slow and constant harms of colonialism and resources extraction in different regions of remote northern Australia: the south-west Gulf Country in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley in Western Australia. The exhibition highlighted the colony’s obsessions with digging stuff up. Minerals from country, knowledge from people, power from relationships, to sustain life on stolen land.

‘When the companies came, they came and just wanted to buy the place, they came overnight, the government, and sold it to them. When they first started, they didn't care, the government didn't tell them that Aboriginal people were living there.’

'That’s why I paint, To tell my story.’


-Jack Green on why he paints, and the atrocious realities of what happens on his country.



This exhibition was held on the sovereign lands of the Arrernte people. The art works in this exhibition speak about the colonies’ many disguises and manifestations, and its obsessions with digging stuff up. Stealing minerals from Country, knowledge from people, power from relationships and energy from labourers. 



Colonialism and extractivism specifically targets First Nations peoples, lands, skies and waters. They reveal themselves in physical manifestations like mining, however, appearing just as often in our ‘everyday lives’, as a simple domestically blissful desire. The ethos of violence that is needed to sustain these power structures, to sustain life on stolen land, create chaos and produce injustice. Many conversations have gone into making this exhibition, and many more will hopefully arise from it.

I'd like to pay my respect to all First Nations people globally and stand in solidarity in struggle. No one is free, until all of us are free.

I curated this exhibition in collaboration with the WTS First Nations advisory group and WTS Curatorial committee.
Link to WTS website

Due it’s success and relevance the exhibition like bloodthirsty mosquitoes traveled to Cross Art Project in Sydney.
Link to cross art website

listen on the Cross Art website to a conversation between Jack Green, Alana Hunt and myself.

like bloodthirsty mosquitoes by Jack Green


image credit Ivan Trigo


image credit Sara Maiorino



image credit Ivan Trigo