The Artist
Robyne Latham holds a Masters in Fine Art, by research and has employed participatory action research methodology in both her art practice and her academic research projects.
She describes herself as a 'social artist' with an emphasis on 'consciousness raising'.
Robyne has held a number of academic positions over the past 30 years, at La Trobe and Deakin Universities in Melbourne Victoria, and at Curtin and Edith Cowan Universities in Perth, Western Australia. In 2017 Robyne retired from academic work to focus solely on her art practice.
Robyne sat on the Committee of Management and was the Vice Chair of Woor -Dungin for some years. Woor-Dungin is a coalition of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, philanthropic foundations and donors, and pro bono service providers working in partnership to enable Aboriginal organisations to access the resources and support they require, and to achieve self-determination.
The remainder of her time is spent in her studio.
Qualifications
2009: M.F.A. by research. Monash University. Victoria.
1987: Graduate Diploma of Education, Edith Cowan University, Perth, W.A.
1986: BA Visual Arts Curtin University, Perth, W.A.
1977: Diploma in Advanced Ceramics, Perth Technical School, Perth W.A
Collections
Manningham City Council.
The Cunningham Dax Collection.
Shepparton Art Museum. Victoria.
Margaret Lawrence Australian Ceramic Collection.
National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne Victoria.
Deakin University Gallery. Deakin University. Melbourne. Victoria.
The Bouverie Centre. La Trobe University. Melbourne. Victoria.
Koorie Heritage Trust Museum. Melbourne Victoria.
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Darwin. N.T.
Museum of Western Australia. Perth. W.A.
Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia.
John Curtin Gallery. Curtin University. Perth. Western Australia.
Private collections both nationally and internationally.
AWARDs
SAM Indigenous Ceramic Art Awards 2014 . Recipient of the Victorian Award.
Victorian Indigenous Art Awards 2011. 3D Award. Highly Commended.
Manningham Victorian Ceramic Art Awards. Manningham City Council. Highly Commended.
Dr. Ross Ingram Memorial Competition. Medical Journal of Australia.
GRANTS
The City of Melbourne’s Annual Arts Grants Program 2017
City of Melbourne. Arts House CultureLab. 2009.
Arts Development, Creation Grant. Arts Victoria. 2009.
Indigenous Arts Development. Indigenous Mentoring Grant. “From Mud to Metal.” Arts Victoria. 2006.
M.A. travel grant to Sri Lanka. Monash University. 2006.
'Sister' Exhibition. Christine Latham and Robyne Latham. Australia Council 1998.
Commissions
2022-2023 The Level Crossing Removal Project. Greensborough Train Station. Public Art Work. Titled ORCHID. Bronze.
2020-2021 Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation,Celebrate. Create. Connect. RCH150 Public Art Work. Titled LEAF Bronze.
2019 MacKillop Family Services Melbourne. Heritage Display installation.
2015 Darebin City Council. The Stolen Generations Public Art Commission. Titled Empty Coolamon. Bronze.
2014. Victorian Medical Alliance. Egg tempera triptych. 1.5 m x 4.5 m.
Ongoing: Private Commissions.
Judging
Co Judge. Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award. 2018.
Solo Exhibitions / Performance
2019. Remembering the Empty Coolamons. Pan Pacific Family Therapy Conference. Melbourne 17-18 October 2019.
2019. ‘Everyone is an Artist’. Casa de Asia. X111 Biennale Havana Cuba.
2018. Remembering the Empty Coolamons. Clay Gulgon. NSW.
2017. Remembering the Empty Coolamons. The Atrium. Federations Square. Melbourne.
2015. The Aborigine is Present. The Koorie Heritage Trust Museum. Federation Square. Melbourne.
2014. Empty Coolamons In Memoriam to the Stolen Generations. Bunjilaka. Melbourne Museum.
2013. LATHAM. Monsalvat. Eltham. Victoria
2012. LATHAM. Blak Dot Gallery. Melbourne. Victoria.
2007. Metal Blue Dreaming. (Solo) Gandel Family Foyer Gallery. Koorie Heritage Trust Cultural Centre.
ARTICLES ABOUT ROBYNE LATHAM.
Life After Extinction: The participatory performances of Robyne Latham. by Dr Lara Stevens. Performance Research . On Climates. Published by Routledge. Taylor & Francis Group. 2018.
DEAKIN UNIVERSITY ART COLLECTION. A Selection of Works. Limited edition publication of 100. 2017.
The Aborigine is Present. Article. Melbourne Magazine. June - July 2015.
CLAYLINK. Issue 344. Interview. Victorian Indigenous Ceramic Award Winner. 2014.
Empty Coolamons. by Philippa Rayment. NewLand. Magazine. Issue 87. October 2014.
PUBLICATIONs.
Reflections on a “Black and White” Model of Teaching Family Therapy to First Nations Students. Robyne Latham, Banu Moloney, Stephen Andrew. PACJA. Vol. 11, Issue 2, 2023 December 15, 2023.
Working Side by Side. A Process of Collaboration for Aboriginal and non Aboriginal People. Jacqui Sundbery and Robyne Latham. The Bouverie Centre. La Trobe University. Australian Aboriginal Studies 2018/2.
What did the Hand of the Potter Shake? Robyne Latham. Ceramics Art & Perception. 109. 2018.
Clay Memory. In collaboration with Francesca Randell-Short, Quinn Eades and Jamie James. CHART COLLECTIVE. 2016.
Palliative Care for the Planet. Horsfall D., Linnell S., Latham R., Rumbold J. Journal of Applied Arts and Health. Volume 5 Number 2 281-292.. Oct 2014.
The most Dangerous Thing in the world is an Educated Blak!!! Look out here comes trouble. Australian Association of Family Therapy. March 2013.
Conference and workshop Presentations.
2019 Non Surgical Symposium. Sydney. Performance of Remembering the Empty Coolamons.
Firbank Grammar. Reconciliation Week 2019. Performance of Remembering the Empty Coolamons.
Australian Association of Family Therapy. 39th Australian Family Therapy conference, 2018. Holding Co-key note of the conference and the performance of Remembering the Empty Coolamons
Clay Galgon. Australia's Greatest International Ceramics Festival. April 15th -21st 2018. Performance of Remembering the Empty Coolamons and a presentation on her art practice.
Lines in the Sand: (re)making contact. Cultural Consultant to Meredith Elton's participatory performance art work. 2018.
Australian Association for Infant Mental Health National Conference 23rd-26th Nov. 2017. Artist in Residence and Panel presentation.
Heidi Gallery. May 2017. Workshop. Teaching Aboriginal Art in Schools.
Melbourne University Dec 2017. Lecture. Latham’s Art Practice.
IFIP Pacific Regional Hui. Remembering our Past Reclaiming our Future. May 2017 Otaki. New Zealand Woor-Dungin Group Presentation.
NonfictioNOW. June 2017. Reykjavik, Iceland. Title: Clay memory and HM Prison Pentridge: making, being, doing. Joint presentation with Associate Professor Francesca Randle Short and Dr. Quinn Eades and Jamie James.
Nurturing Creative Spirits Conference. August. 2016. Workshop.
InASA Conference 2016 – Reimagining Australia: Encounter, Recognition, Responsibility. December 2016. Clay Memory. Joint presentation with Associate Professor Francesca Randle-Short and Dr. Quinn Eades and Jamie James. Fremantle. Western Australia.
Melbourne University April 2015. Lecture. 'Reflecting Identities, Aboriginal Women and Art.'
Clayspace Daylesford. Victoria. Artist’s Talk and Presentation. Nov 2015.
La Trobe University. Annual Guest Lecture. 2014- 2018. Masters in Art Therapy.
DAX. Melbourne University. September 2014. Healing Ways, Art with Intent. Kopi Workshop with Robyne Latham and Maree Clarke and Panel Discussion.
Hawthorn Artist's s Society. April 2014. Artist's Talk and Presentation.
Group Exhibitions
2019. Intercambio Cuba. Casa de Asia. Curated by Dr Damian Smith. Short film, Identity is a Cage in Search of a Bird and Everyone is an Artist.
2018. LOVE IS MIRACULOUS. Immigration Museum. & Melbourne Museum, in partnership with Heidi Museum of Modern Art.
Seven Year Itch. 2011-2018. Chapter House Lane.
2018 Intercambio: Cuba Australia Video exchange. Blindside Gallery. Curated by Dr Damian Smith.
2017-2018. Cultural Consultant to The Moving Place. Lines in the Sand: (re) making contact. workshop. Meredith Elton, Victoria Hunt & Carol McGregor. Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
2016. Aboriginal Sculpture @ & Gallery Melbourne.
2016. The Emotional Life of Objects. Melbourne University.
2015. The Aborigine is Present. 2015. Vimeo. The Roadhouse Gallery MONA. Hobart Tasmania.
2014-15. Here and Now. Maree Clarke and Robyne Latham. Montsalvat. Eltham. Victoria
2014. Beyond the Blak Tik’n all Boxes. The Aborigine is Present. Substation. Melbourne. Victoria
2013. Manningham Ceramic Awards. Manningham Gallery. Melbourne. Victoria.
2012. Colour Theory. Manningham Gallery. Melbourne. Victoria.
2011. Gori Illa. Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art. European Tour.
2011. Manningham Gallery Ceramics Awards.
2011. Victorian Indigenous Art Awards. Fortyfive Downstairs.
2010. “Empty Coolamons, A memoriam to the Stolen Generations”. Meat Markets.
2007. Envisaging the Sacred. Maroondah Art Gallery.
2006. Victorian Indigenous Art Awards. Mahoneys Galleries.
2006. N.A.I.D.O.C. Exhibition. Queens Hall. Parliament House.
2006. Tribal Expressions. Black Box.
2005 Urnaninity “Images from Indigenous Artists in South Eastern Australia”.
2004. Urnaninity “Images from Indigenous Artists in South Eastern Australia”.
2003. Indigenous ceramics exhibition Paddington Sydney.
2000. "Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art Award" Darwin N.T.
1999."Budja Moort Djurah-Kutuanana: cultural survival and reconciliation" Lawrence Wilson Gallery."
1999."Latham and Latham." Indigenart Gallery. W.A. (Christine Latham and Robyne Latham)
1999."Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art Award" Darwin N.T.
1999. "Traditional Edge" Indigenart Gallery. Perth W.A. 9th National Ceramics Conference "Edge"
1999. "Jody Broun and Robyne Latham." Mary Place Gallery. Sydney. N.S.W.
1998. "Sister" Indigenart Gallery. Perth W.A. (Christine Latham and Robyne Latham)
1998. "Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art Award" Darwin N.T.
1997. "NAIDOC Exhibition" Installation Grand Central Gallery Melbourne Victoria
1996. "We In We Homeborn" Access Gallery, National gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Victoria.
1996. "Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Award" Darwin N.T.
1996. "White-Out" Yume -Ya Gallery. Melbourne. (Christine Latham and Robyne Latham)
Theatre
2021. Black Pearl Productions. Yirramboi Festival. Set Design. Coconut Woman. Writer Director Maryann Sam.
2017. Ilbijerri Theatre Company. Set Designer. One more River to Cross.
2007. La Mama. Design and Construction. “La Mama Poetica”. Melbourne International Arts Festival.
2006 Black Box Design and Construction. “Tribal Expressions”. Commonwealth Games.
2002 “Blak Inside Season” Co-Set Designer. Playbox Theatre Company. Melbourne. Vic.
2001 “Magpie.” Set Designer. Melbourne Workers Theatre. Melbourne, Vic.
2001 “No Parking.” Set Designer. Bless your Big Blak Arts Festival. Melbourne. Vic.
1997 Community Theatre work. Yirra Yaakin Children's Theatre Play. Perth. W.A.
1996 "Stolen." Set Designer, Ilbijerri Theatre Company. Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne. Vic.
Academic Position. (in brief)
2008- 2017. Bouverie Centre. La Trobe University. Indigenous Strategic Development Officer. Formerly undertaking Participatory Action Research into Family Therapy training for Indigenous Health Workers in Victoria. Then moved to the role of Strategic Development Officer.
2006-2008 Australian Research Centre, in Sex Health and Society. La Trobe University. Researcher. Identifying barriers to taking up anti-viral treatment for hepatitis C, for Indigenous people in Victoria.
2001-2005: Lecturing Institute of Koorie Education. (I.K.E.) Deakin University, Waurn Ponds Campus. B.A. Visual Communication.
2000-02 Sessional Lecturing. La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus. Health Sciences. Psychology.
1996 - 1999. Lecturing at Curtin University, Department of Fine Art . Edith Cowen University Ceramics Department.