Mia Boe: Guwinganj

Mia Boe records and recovers Indigenous histories in a contemporary context, fusing the personal and historical.

Hervey Bay Regional Gallery is pleased to present Guwinganj, Mia Boe’s first exhibition on Butchulla Country.

‘Guwinganj’ is a Butchulla word for a benevolent spirit: a guiding force from the past that helps to navigate the present.

Guwinganj explores the role of Indigenous knowledge in addressing the challenges of the future, bringing together recent paintings, including Boe’s science fiction influenced The Aboriginal Robot series, and new works inspired by a residency on Butchulla Country.

Mia Boe was the 2024 recipient of the Fiona Foley Residency, an invitational biennial artist residency program hosted by Hervey Bay Regional Gallery in conjunction with Dr Fiona Foley.

Biography
Mia Boe is a Melbourne-based painter with Butchulla and Burmese ancestry. Through paintings of elongated figures in dreamlike landscapes, Boe reimagines Indigenous histories in a contemporary context. Originally from Brisbane, Boe has enjoyed breakthrough success since being awarded the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship in 2021, including showing work in NGV’s 2023 Melbourne Now, AGNSW’s 2024 Archibald Prize, and recently as part of the IMA’s 2024 Platform. Represented by Sutton Gallery in Melbourne, Boe’s work has quickly gained the attention of both collectors and state institutions, with a recent show at Roslyn Oxley9 featuring a new body of work titled The Aboriginal Robot.