#Performances
#About the event
Duration: 60 minutes
Dr Fiona Foley addresses the inherent silences, errors and injustices from the perspective of her people, the Badtjala of K'gari (Fraser Island). Biting the Clouds is a confronting and provocative examination of the little-known colonial-era practice of paying Indigenous workers in opium, with the aim of making Aboriginals a compliant source of labour - and the 'solution' of displacing them to K’gari.
#Artists
Fiona Foley
Dr Foley was awarded, The Inaugural Monica Clare Research Fellowship 2020 from the State Library of Queensland towards a publication entitled, Bogimbah Creek Mission: The First Aboriginal Experiment. In addition, Dr Foley is the 2020 recipient of the highly prestigious, Capstone Editing Early Career Academic Research Grant for Women.
Her publication titled, Biting the Clouds: The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act, 1897, was launched on 4 November and is published by the University of Queensland Press (UQP).
Foley completed her PhD with Griffith University in 2017. The thesis topic examined Queensland's legislation, The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act, 1897. Her new work on this subject was received with significant interest and in 2021 she will hold a major retrospective exhibition at QUT Art Museum.
Fiona Foley is a founding member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Co-operative. She exhibits regularly in Australia and internationally. Her recent solo exhibitions were held at Andrew Baker Art Dealer, Brisbane 2017, Ballarat International Foto Biennale 2019 and then at the National Art School, Sydney, 2020.
Cheryl Leavy
Cheryl Leavy is an award-winning writer of non-fiction, poetry, and children's literature. Her children’s book, Yanga – Mother, published by UQP in 2024, was recently shortlisted for an Australian Book Industry Award. Cheryl has also been awarded the Oodgeroo Noonuccal Prize for Indigenous Poetry, a Varuna Residency, a Queensland Writers Fellowship and a Queensland Museum Fellowship. Her poetry has been published by Cordite, Griffith Review and UQP, and has been commissioned by art museums here and internationally. Cheryl has served on many boards including the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane Writers Festival and the Institute of Modern Art. Cheryl is passionate about using the power of language and culture to advance human rights, with a focus on climate and land justice.
