Damien Shen is a South Australian man of Ngarrindjeri (Aboriginal) and Chinese descent. As an artist he draws on both of these powerful cultural influences to create works of intense personal meaning. In using his artistic talent to share his story he aims to open the eyes of viewers to new ways of seeing Australian identity and Aboriginal art.
From time consuming, labor intensive drawings to bleeding water colors and velvety smooth oil paintings, Shen is constantly constructing and deconstructing the world around him through his imagery to better understand his identity and the identity of those that help to shape the world he lives. While he constantly pushes his practice into different mediums his content remains relevant to contemporary Australian issues around race, history and politics.
Constantly pushing his practice while engaging with and responding to the people, places and stories that effect his ideas around identity, Shen has started his career with a vigorous and contagious energy.
Select Group & Solo Exhibitions
– Darebin Art Prize, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Melbourne, VIC, 2026
– Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham, Melbourne, VIC, 2026
– Yitpi Yartapuultiku Group Exhibition, Port Adelaide, SA, 2025
– My Cuzzy Nate and the 654 Club, Adelaide Central Gallery, SA, 2025
– NAIDOC Week, MARS Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, 2025
– Our Story: Aboriginal/Chinese People in Australia, National Museum, 2025 – 2026
– ‘Watch and Listen’, Nexus Arts Centre, SA, 2024 – 2025
– Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award, Lismore Arts Centre, NSW, 2024
– End of year group show, Art Atrium, Sydney, NSW, 2024
– ‘DARING’ Curatorial + Co, Sydney, NSW, 2024
– ‘The Views From Here Part 2’, Casula Powerhouse, NSW, 2024 – 2025
– ‘Survey of the Half Caste Problem’ Sydney Contemporary, NSW, 2024
– ‘Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia’, NGA, ACT, 2024 – 2025
– ‘Naidoc Week’, MARS Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, 2024
– ‘Entombed in Joy’, Frankston Arts Centre, VIC, 2024
– MARS Gallery and Hill Smith Art Advisory pop up, ITL Gallery, Adelaide, SA, 2024
– ‘Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia’, Auckland Art Gallery, 2023
– ’Alt/Text’ Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, 2023
– ’Entombed in Joy’ MARS Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, 2023
– ’Yellah Fellah’ Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW, 2022
– ‘Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia’, National Gallery of Singapore, 2022
– ‘While You Were Sleeping Vol.2, aMBUSH Gallery, ANU, ACT, 2022
– ‘Old ways, new ways’, Monash Gallery of Art, VIC, 2022
– ‘We will all eventually return to the earth’, Ballarat International Foto Biennalle, VIC, 2021
– ‘The Gathering’, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, WA, 2021
– ‘Stone from another mountain, Benalla Art Gallery, VIC, 2021
– ‘Body Language’, The Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie, NSW, 2020
– ‘A Stone from Another Mountain’, MARS Gallery, Melbourne, 2020
– Collection of The Hon. Paul Guest OAM QC, Bendigo Art Gallery, VIC, 2020
– ‘Between Two Worlds’, Newcastle Gallery, NSW, 2019
– Tarnanthi, Adelaide, SA, 2019
– Incinerator Gallery, Aberfeldie, VIC, 2019
– 36th Telstra Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin, 2019
– ‘One In, All In’, Yarta Purtli Art Gallery, Port Augusta, 2019
– ‘Olive Cotton Award’, Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW, 2019
– ‘One In, All In’, Walter Nichols Art Gallery, Port Lincoln, SA, 2019
– ‘While you were sleeping’, Australian National University, ACT, 2019
– ‘Body Language’, National Gallery of Australia, ACT, 2019
– ‘Unbranded’, La Trobe Art Institute, VIC, 2019
– ‘One In, All In’, Tandanya, Adelaide, SA, 2019
– Castlemaine Arts Festival, VIC, 2019
– Collection of The Hon. Paul Guest OAM QC, Bendigo Art Gallery, VIC, 2018