Josh Muir
Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Barkindji man Josh Muir was a contemporary artist born and raised in Ballarat in Wadawurrung Country, Victoria in 1991. At the time of his unexpected passing in 2022, Muir was only 30 years old.
Upon reviewing the MARS archives earlier this year, Gallery Assistant Ruby rediscovered artworks on a USB which held Josh Muir's works dating back from the last ten years. The discovery presented an opportunity for Director Andy Dinan to select five that will be printed in satin editioned at an
affordable price for young collectors to collect and learn about Josh’s practice.
Vibrant and vivacious, Josh’s works were exemplary of his electric and youthful
storytelling. Josh’s profound advocacy for mental health were drawn from his own
experiences as he reflected deeply on the complexity and challenges of his cultural
identity through the lens of post-colonialism. Josh infused this into his practice
through his immersive iconography forged from a stylistic visual language rooted in
urban culture, hip-hop music and the built environment.
In these surreal works, bold black outlines, electric neon colour palettes, symbolic
motifs and mirror-image based symmetry transform the fabric into a kaleidoscopic
investigation into themes of identity and mental health.