‘South West Art Now’ 2022 biennial exhibition curated to reflect history and future of South West experience

The region’s most talented emerging and established artists will be showcased in the South West’s biggest collection of new work later this month.

South West Art Now (SWAN) is a biennial survey hosted by Bunbury Regional Art Gallery which presents new work by artists and creatives living in the South West of WA, extending from Mandurah to Albany.

Art historian Dr Diana McGirr has been invited this year by BRAG to curate SWAN 2022 and has selected 55 local artists including Margaret River artists Elisa Markes-Young, Christopher Young, Martine Perret, Ian Dowling, Kay Gibson and Chris Williamson who will be showcasing their new creative works.

Dr McGirr has a keen interest in regional art production and first-hand knowledge of the South West and said she planned to incorporate inspiration from past surveys into this year’s curation.

“Since its foundation in 1987, the Survey, as it used to be known, has captured the public imagination and sparked debate amongst artists and audiences about who and what has or hasn’t been selected,” she said.

“As an art historian, I plan to explore links with past Surveys as well as reflect what’s happening now in a compelling exhibition that reveals the high standard of innovative and imaginative work that’s produced by regionally-based artists, without any strings attached to their choice of subject, material or form.”

South West Art Now 2022 will be on display at the Bunbury Regional Art Gallery from March 26 to May 15.