Bringing Blak History to Brooklyn

In 2023 Aretha Brown travelled to the United States to paint a mural in DUMBO, Brooklyn, commissioned by the Australian Consulate-General with support from the Australian US Embassy and American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia.

Three years later, she created a new mural, THE BIRTH OF A NATION: THE TRUE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA, inside the National Gallery as part of the 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain. In this Q&A, Brown looks back on her early work, her experience overseas, and the TEACH BLAK HISTORY project.

You come from a creative family, how did you come to painting and what were some of your earliest memories of expressing yourself through art?

My dad is a musician from the iconic Australian rock group, Painters and Dockers, and my mum is a painter, as well as the women that came before her—so I always knew I’d pursue something creative. In my Gumbanggirr family, you’re either a rugby player, or an artist, so being creative was always encouraged. Some of my earliest (and fondest) memories of me expressing myself through art are helping my nan and aunties with their creative projects by being an unofficial art assistant, with my main responsibility being tea-making.

You’ve developed a distinctive black-and-white style rich with symbols and motifs; what shaped your practice and visual language?

When I started art school at 18, I was mistakenly under the impression that the school would provide materials… Well, I was wrong. I took myself to Bunnings [an Australian hardware store chain] where all I could really afford was one 10 litre tin of black paint, and one 10 litre tin of white paint. I owe my now very distinct style to that exact limitation from my very first week at art school. I am a firm believer that limitations force you to think outside the box, and actually help you to create a distinct style much quicker.

What has large-scale mural work and public art allowed you to achieve that conventional, gallery-based work might not?

Making public art always appealed to me more than having my art displayed within conventional gallery walls. Particularly as an Aboriginal women artist, the themes and stories I am interested in telling, to me, are more impactful in public spaces, as they force conversations and contemplation for people who may not necessarily seek my art within a gallery. Keeping my artwork public has also meant that I’ve been able to produce a huge body of work, painting nearly 70 murals world-wide, with my art collective **KISS MY ART, by the age of 25.

What was your impression of the United States and its arts community, and how did it resonate with your experience as an artist and First Nations woman back home?

I did a mural in Brooklyn and Manhattan for the Australian Embassy in 2023. Getting over to the States was a dream come true—NYC is truly a melting pot of different cultures and backgrounds, and truly such an inspiring, diverse city. Some of my favourite artists are American, including Keith Haring and Basquiat, so it was truly surreal for me to create art in the same city that birthed and houses their legacies.

At the heart of your work is the invitation to ‘Teach Blak History’. What inspired this message, and what did you hope to share with American audiences about First Nations history and culture?

Ultimately that Aboriginal culture deserves to be celebrated on a global stage, because it's interesting, iconic and deadly—and frankly, nobody does it like us.

How were those teachings received?

Really well! People are really open over there, and because the States has their own dark history with their Indigenous peoples, the message resonated and helps relate our struggles on a global scale.

You created THE BIRTH OF A NATION: THE TRUE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA, a new, large-scale mural at the National Gallery of Australia for After the Rain. What was your intention going into this work, and how have international commissions and experiences such as the New York trip flowed into your current practice?

My intention for this work was always focused on Truth Telling. International commissions and experiences, particularly my trip to New York, have helped give me the confidence to do so. There’s a level of confidence that I think American artists have, that I have learned to take on board, and implement in my own work. As I always say, GO BIGGER!

The 5th National Indigenous Art Triennial: After the Rain was on display at the National Gallery from 6 December 2025 – 26 April 2026 and is currently on a multi-venue regional Australia tour until September 2028.