SYMBIOTIC MARATHON is a new exhibition by Merinda Davies that imagines an exercise program for a future shaped by ecological collapse. Set in a speculative world where breathable air is no longer guaranteed for humans or plants, the project invites audiences to consider relationships of mutual dependence through breath, movement,…

Milani Gallery presents Recent Work, an exhibition of new paintings, drawings, and textiles by acclaimed Australian artist Khaled Sabsabi. The exhibition follows Sabsabi’s presentation of two major new installations at the 61st Venice Biennale: khalil, presented at the Arsenale as part of In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, and…

Stetla-ARI presents Anecdotes 3, a solo exhibition by Charlie Donaldson opening on 6 June 2026 and running until 13 June 2026 at 9 Ferry Road, West End. In Anecdotes 3, Charlie Donaldson presents work unburdened by modern imaging software and technological innovation, instead finding interest through ambiguity, accumulation, and a…

Wentworth Galleries Brisbane presents Ambient River, a new solo exhibition by Australian artist Phil Stallard, showcasing 20 new paintings inspired by memory, landscape, and the meditative rhythms of water. Describing himself as an “Emotional Abstractionist,” Stallard’s latest body of work expands upon his long-standing relationship with the Hawkesbury River and…

‘Worlds within Worlds’ explores how the symbolic and stylistic features of art from the Baroque period (around 1600–1750) have been invoked by contemporary artists, who — like their predecessors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries — are reflecting on a world in flux. These works suggest parallels between Baroque and…

Ian Friend creates subtle and evocative works on paper using pigment, ink and gouache from his studio in Ipswich, Queensland. With a fascination for alchemy between materials and an obsession with hand-made art papers, sourced worldwide, Friend’s works are made from the finest materials and developed using techniques which have been…

The Sanctuary is a deeply personal body of drawings that translates Shonnie Lea’s emotional landscape into visual form. Imagined as a living entity, the sanctuary is both protective and fragile, revealing the points where safety gives way to vulnerability. Throughout the exhibition, an underlying ache exists alongside a quiet determination…

Cut the Line sees Brisbane artist Caroline Gasteen transform provisional maquettes into a series of expansive oil paintings. Through movement, scale and tonal contrast, these works shift the maquettes from simple constructed objects into autonomous subjects, charged with presence and emotional weight. Created using readily available materials, the original maquettes…

The Moreton Bay Art Prize returns in 2026, celebrating the diverse creative talent of artists from across the region. Held annually at Pine Rivers Art Gallery, the exhibition is a highlight of the local arts calendar and showcases a vibrant selection of contemporary works by shortlisted finalists. Following a strong…

Friends brings together the creative practices of eight artists connected through friendship, shared experiences, and ongoing artistic dialogue. Presented at The Line & Rail Artspace, Logan’s newest contemporary art venue, the exhibition explores the ways personal relationships can foster creative exchange, inspiration, and community. Featuring works by Laila Aasand Bjornsson,…

Metro Arts invites Brisbane’s creative community to its second Townhall event for 2026, offering an opportunity to reconnect with the organisation and hear about the next phase of its evolving program. Since the beginning of the year, Metro Arts has been developing new initiatives, residencies, partnerships and creative projects. This…

Love is in the Air is a new exhibition by JP Willis that explores the ethics of visibility, concealment, and the aestheticisation of violence. Through a visual language of camouflage, pattern, and repetition, Willis examines the ways conflict is obscured, normalised, and embedded within contemporary culture. The exhibition presents camouflage…

The Institute of Modern Art’s annual Zine Fair returns in 2026, celebrating independent publishing, DIY culture, and creative self-expression. Bringing together artists, designers, writers and makers from Brisbane and beyond, the fair offers visitors the chance to browse a diverse range of zines, artist books, experimental publications and printed matter.…

The Interior invites audiences into an exaggerated psychoanalytic consultation room, transformed through immersive installation, sculptural furniture, hand-painted murals and richly patterned textiles. Through a playful yet critical lens, Natalya Hughes examines society’s historical relationship with women, power and psychoanalysis. Combining part-professional and part-domestic environments, the exhibition explores gendered dynamics between…

David Paulson: Artist Portraits surveys the artist’s longstanding engagement with portraiture, the human figure and the discipline of life drawing. Bringing together nine major portraits on canvas alongside a series of smaller works on paper, the exhibition traces Paulson’s enduring fascination with identity, observation and the psychological complexities of representation.…

Samantha Hobson: Wuntalpa Time explores the macro and micro ecology of ocean and creek sites surrounding the artist’s community of Lockhart River in Far North Queensland. The exhibition draws inspiration from “Wuntalpa time” — a seasonal period marked by brown seafoam washing onto the shoreline, signalling environmental and atmospheric change.…

Sun, sand and surf are deeply woven into Australian culture, shaping memories of family holidays, long summers and time spent by the sea. Like Yesterday explores our relationship with the beach through the lens of nostalgia, reflecting on the feelings of loss, longing and connection tied to seaside memories. The…

Sympathy and Difference is a group exhibition exploring friendship, collaboration, dialogue and collective exchange through contemporary art practice. Drawing inspiration from Michel Foucault’s preface to Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia by Deleuze and Guattari, the exhibition considers the group not as a fixed hierarchy but as a fluid space of de-individualisation,…

Tim Page: The Very Edge of the Brightest Light brings together almost 70 photographic works from the Griffith University Art Collection alongside archival materials and ephemera, offering a renewed perspective on one of the most influential war photographers of the 20th century. Curated by Carrie McCarthy, the exhibition highlights Page’s…

Bad Sports is a vibrant and theatrical exhibition by The Huxleys exploring the intersections of sport, queerness, humour and performance. Drawing on their experiences of growing up in Australia, The Huxleys transform the playing field into a site of creative resistance. Through photography, costume and performance, the exhibition reimagines sport…

PARKER Contemporary presents Distorted Image, a new body of work by Brisbane artist Matthew Newkirk examining the power of visual imagery in contemporary society and its role in shaping how we understand news, commerce and social relations. Working with the visual languages and signifiers that circulate through everyday media, Newkirk…

Celebrating ten years of Outer Space, TEN brings together works by artists from the organisation’s vibrant community. Rather than presenting a singular history, the exhibition traces connections across identity, memory and belonging, highlighting the evolving role of artist-led practice, experimentation and collective expression in Brisbane’s contemporary art scene. The exhibition…

Sunshine Coast–based artist Peter Hudson returns to Mitchell Fine Art for his fourth solo exhibition, Not Dark Yet. In this contemplative new body of work, Hudson explores the quiet relationship between earth and sky. Birds, saltwater ecosystems, wildlife, moonlight, stars and the iconic Glass House Mountains appear throughout the exhibition…

The Royal Queensland Art Society Brisbane Branch presents the May edition of ART TALKS, exploring the enduring relevance of Daphne Mayo’s life and legacy. This discussion considers Mayo’s influence as an artist and cultural advocate, reflecting on her roles as RQAS Vice-President, Life Member, Foundation Member of the Australian Academy…

CREATE EXCHANGE: Painted Up presents a powerful body of work by Dean Biŋkin Tyson (Quandamooka and Gurang), exploring the cultural, spiritual, and political significance of body painting. Rooted in stories of Country, place, and lore, being “painted up” is both a privilege and an act of cultural embodiment—one that carries…

Thread: Connecting Stories and Community is a collaborative exhibition exploring the cultural, social, and historical significance of clothing and adornment as expressions of identity, connection, and belonging. Developed through ongoing dialogue between Logan-based artists, community members, and the National Portrait Gallery, the project brings together historical works and contemporary practices…

Deep Surface is the first career survey of Los Angeles–based Australian artist and Palawa woman Jemima Wyman. Spanning three decades of practice from the mid-1990s to the 2020s, the exhibition brings together collage, textiles, installation, video, performance, and painting. Drawing from the QUT Art Collection alongside significant private and public…

Shields: Design and Functionality explores the history, artistry and cultural significance of traditional Aboriginal shields through a major exhibition at The University of Queensland’s Anthropology Museum. The exhibition presents more than 130 shields dating from the early 1900s, highlighting the regional diversity of shield design across Australia. Traditionally used for…

Kukunna Murraweena is a new exhibition by Mandy Quadrio, presented at the Institute of Modern Art. Quadrio, a Trawlwoolway Tasmanian Aboriginal woman of European heritage, creates a powerful installation of suspended steel wool sculptures. The abrasive material—typically associated with cleaning and erasure—is transformed into soft, yielding forms that evoke bodily…

Cambium Itch is a new large-scale installation by Erika Scott, presented at the Institute of Modern Art. Known for her maximalist sculptural practice, Scott transforms the detritus of consumer culture into immersive, sensory environments. Her work collapses distinctions between object, image, and viewer, amplifying the tactile and visual qualities of…

In The River, acclaimed Australian artist Ben Quilty turns his attention to a deeply personal place: a river hidden within a steep valley. Reaching this secluded location requires a deliberate descent into a landscape where towering rock walls create a sense of both protection and weight. Quilty describes this place…

Bringing together the practices of Peter Godwin, Sally Anderson and Ross Laurie, Holding Light considers the ways perception, memory, and material sensitivity converge in contemporary painting. Across three distinct practices, light emerges not simply as a visual phenomenon, but as a conceptual and emotional register — something held, diffused, and…

As part of the prize for winning the Mervyn Moriarty Landscape Award at the 2025 Queensland Regional Art Awards, Jonathon Westacott presents a two-week solo exhibition at Flying Arts Alliance. Westacott’s practice explores the subtleties of landscape through a close attention to form and colour, alongside a curiosity for what…

The Institute of Modern Art welcomes acclaimed curator and art historian Daria de Beauvais for a special presentation exploring the role of artists as historians. As Senior Curator and Head of International Relations at Palais de Tokyo, de Beauvais has shaped the international art scene through exhibitions that intertwine aesthetics,…

In Pause for a Human, Ham Darroch explores humanness through a vibrant and inquisitive abstract language. Occupying the Main Gallery, the exhibition presents a series of large-scale acrylic paintings that are both sharply composed and playfully resolved. These works invite viewers to slow down and navigate their layered, puzzle-like surfaces.…

‘Double Take’ is a curated cinema program exploring the eerie, fascinating world of doubles, impostors and fractured identity on screen. Drawing together international films—from psychological thrillers to surreal dramas and horror—the program examines how identity can be mirrored, duplicated and distorted. Expect a mix of rare archival prints and newly…