Artist Curriculum Vitae of Ryan Presley
Dr. Ryan Presley (b. 1987, Mparntwe/Alice Springs) is a Marri Ngarr artist currently living and working on Yugambeh Country (Logan City, QLD). His practice is driven by a sustained investigation into the entanglements of power, culture, and historical narrative in the Australian context; often focusing on how colonial legacies continue to shape contemporary life. Presley’s work actively challenges the mechanisms through which national memory is constructed, disseminated, and institutionalised, offering Indigenous counter-narratives that assert resistance, survival, and cultural agency.
Working across a broad range of media—including oil painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, video, installation, and writing—Presley’s practice is both materially refined and conceptually rigorous. He is known for combining traditional artistic techniques with experimental and interdisciplinary approaches that allow for critical engagement with contemporary social and political realities. His work regularly interrogates settler-colonial ideologies, the visual language of state power, and the instrumental role of economic systems and institutions in perpetuating inequity and erasure.
Presley’s work has been included in the: Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney (2023), Hungry for Time, Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna (2021); Just Not Australian, Artspace, Sydney (2019 - 2022); Trade Markings (Frontier Imaginaries Ed No. 5), Van Abbemuseum, Netherlands (2018); the 33rd Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Darwin (2016 & 2020); and the TarraWarra Biennial: Endless Circulation (2016).
His major solo exhibition, Fresh Hell, was co-commissioned by Adelaide Contemporary Experimental and Gertrude Contemporary in 2022 (2022 - 2023). His work is held in public collections, which include the Museum of Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of South Australia, and the National Portrait Gallery. Presley completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Art Theory) in 2016. He is represented by Milani Gallery.
Academic Qualifications
2017 – 2019 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Griffith University
2013 – 2016 Doctor of Philosophy with Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship
2009 – 2010 Bachelor of Fine Art with Honours – First Class Honours
2007 – 2009 Bachelor of Visual Arts – Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art
Solo Exhibitions
2024 ‘Daydreamer', Milani Gallery, Brisbane, Queensland
‘Mongrel', Cairns Art Gallery, Queensland
2023 ‘Fresh Hell', Gertrude Contemporary, Victoria (co-commission)
2022 ‘Fresh Hell', ACE Gallery, Adelaide, South Australia (co-commission)
‘INFERNO’, Milani Gallery, Brisbane
2018 ‘For What It’s Worth (Not For Sale)’, Tweed Regional Art Gallery, New South Wales
‘Prosperity’, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Queensland
2017 ‘Terror Island (Wish You Were Here)’, Boxcopy Contemporary Art Space, Brisbane
2016 ‘Themesong’, Webb Gallery, Queensland College of Art, Brisbane, Queensland
2014 ‘Lesser Gods’, Metro Arts, Brisbane, Queensland
‘Lesser Gods’, Next Wave Festival, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
‘Lesser Gods’, Human Rights and Art and Film Festival, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
2012 ‘The Good Earth’, Jan Manton Art, Brisbane
2011 ‘Blood Money’, Jan Manton Art, Brisbane
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 'Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi', Art Gallery of South Australia (Upcoming)
'Recent Acquisitions', National Portrait Gallery, Australia
‘Collecting the Future’, Griffith University Art Museum
2024 'The Gold Award’, Rockhampton Museum of Art, Australia (High Commendation)
'Balancing Act', Art Gallery of Western Australia
'A Delicate Terrain', Tweed Regional Art Gallery, New South Wales
'Speaking Truth to Power', Murdoch University Art Gallery, Western Australia
'Printed Textiles: Collection in Focus', Cairns Art Gallery
2023 'Get me out!’, Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Australia
‘Archibald Prize’, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (Touring nationally until late 2024)
'King & Wood Mallesons First Nations Art Award’, Griffith University Art Museum
2022 ‘Bodies of Knowledge’, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2021 ‘Hungry for Time: An invitation to epistemic disobedience with Raqs Media Collective, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, Austria
‘We Change the World’, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
‘No Place Like Home’, MONA FOMA Festival, Hobart, MONA
‘John Fries Award', UNSW Galleries, Sydney, Australia
2020 ‘Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award’, MAGNT, Darwin
’PEEK: A Partial View of the Murdoch University Art Collection’, Parliament House, Perth
’First’, Redcliffe Art Gallery, Moreton Bay, Queensland
2019 ‘Tarnanthi Festival 2019’, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
’15 Artists’, Redcliffe Art Gallery, Moreton Bay, Queensland (Winner)
‘No Black Seas’, Tarnanthi Festival 2019, ACE Open, Adelaide (Mentor Artist)
‘Stopping Time: Material Prints 3000BCE to Now’, Gympie Regional Gallery (Touring)
‘In Put/Print Out: Cicada Press Prints’, Megalo Print Studio + Gallery, Canberra
‘Collection Spotlight: Blood Money’, Reserve Bank Museum, Reserve Bank Australia
‘QUEEN’S LAND: Black portraiture’, Cairns Art Gallery, Cairns, Australia (Commissioned)
‘Land & Labour Thematic’, Australian Art Collection, Queensland Art Gallery, Australia (Collection Hang)
‘Just Not Australian’, Artspace, Sydney, Australia
2018 ‘Primavera: Young Australian Artists’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia
‘Lucky?’, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, Victoria, Australia
‘Trademarkings (Frontier Imaginaries Ed. No. 5)’, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands
2017 ‘The Standard Length of a Miracle’, by Goldin+Senneby, Institute of Modern Art (Collaborator)
‘Toxic Assets (Frontier Imaginaries Ed. No. 4)’, e-flux, New York, USA
2016 ‘New World Order’, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney, New South Wales
‘International Academic Printmaking Alliance Exhibit’, Taimiao Art Gallery, Tiananmen, China
‘Jerusalem Show VIII’, Al-Ma'mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Jerusalem, Palestine
‘Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award’, MAGNT, Darwin
‘TarraWarra Biennial: Endless Circulation’, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria
‘Creative Accounting’, UQ Art Museum, (Toured Nationally)
‘Frontier Imaginaries: No Longer at Ease’, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
‘100% Brisbane’, Museum of Brisbane (Commissioned)
2015 ‘Post-Hybrid: Re-imagining the Australian Self’, John Curtin Gallery, Perth
‘Out of Queensland: New Indigenous Textiles’, Cairns Art Gallery
‘Mirror Image: prints and plates’, Gympie Regional Art Gallery, Queensland
‘Body Politic’, Icebox Project Space, Crane Arts, Philadelphia USA
‘Saltwater Country’, AAMU: Museum of Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Netherlands
‘Saltwater Country’, Australian Embassy, Washington D.C., USA
2014 ‘Saltwater Country’, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Australia (Toured Nationally)
‘SOLID! Contemporary Queensland Indigenous Sculpture’, Cairns Regional Art Gallery
‘Kyoto Hanga 2014’, Fukuyama Art Museum, Fukuyama, Japan
‘Kyoto Hanga 2014’, Kyoto Municipal Art Museum, Kyoto, Japan
‘Conflict: Contemporary Responses to War’, UQ Art Museum, Queensland
‘Courting Blakness’, University of Queensland, St. Lucia
2013 ‘National Artists’ Self Portrait Prize’, UQ Art Museum, Brisbane
‘Point to Points: Brisbane to Tokyo Exchange’, POP Gallery, South Brisbane
2012 ‘In the red; on the vibrancy of things’, UQ Anthropology Museum, Brisbane
‘PICA Salon’, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Western Australia
‘Westpac Redlands Art Prize’, National Art School Gallery, Sydney, New South Wales
‘Picture This’, Counihan Gallery, Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria
‘MoNow: Manifestations of Now’, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
‘Animal/Human’, UQ Art Museum, Brisbane, Queensland
‘NEW: Selected Recent Acquisitions’, UQ Art Museum, Queensland
‘The Churchie: National Emerging Art Competition’, Griffith University Art Museum
2011 ‘Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award’, Fremantle, Perth, Western Australia
‘HATCHED: National Graduate Show’, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art
2010 ‘The Graduate Art Show & Awards’, Griffith University Art Museum (Winner)
‘The Churchie: National Emerging Art Competition’, Griffith University Art Museum
2009 ‘The Graduate Art Show & Awards’, Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane (Commendation)
‘2009 Silk Cut Award’, Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
‘Eracism: 2009 Youth Multimedia Competition’, Youth Arts Network Queensland – (Winner)
Public Art/Performance Installations
2025 ‘Inferno’, Commissioned and Presented by National Portrait Gallery & Enlighten Festival, Canberra
2024 ‘Paradise Won’, Commissioned and Presented by National Portrait Gallery, Canberra (Extended until July 2025)
2022 ‘Blood Money Currency Exchange Terminal’, Presented by QAGOMA (Installation/Performance)
2019 ‘Blood Money Currency Exchange Terminal’, Tarnanthi Festival, Presented by AGSA (Installation/Performance)
'Blood Money Currency Exchange Terminal', Sydney Festival, Presented by MCA (Installation/Performance)
‘Blood Money Currency Exchange Terminal’, Project Rooms, Melbourne Art Week, Presented by IMA
Residency
2025 ‘Truth on Terra Bulla: Artist Camp’, MMEIC Minjerribah, QLD
2018 ‘Artist in Residence Program’, Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, NSW
2015 ‘Cicada Press: Indigenous Residency Program’, Cicada Press, CoFA, Sydney
Collections
Anglican Church Grammar School Art Collection, Brisbane
Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of Western Australia
Banyule Art Collection, Melbourne
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, England
Cairns Art Gallery, Cairns
Gadens Lawyers Art Collection, Brisbane
Griffith Artworks, Griffith University, Brisbane
Moreton Bay Regional Council Art Collection
Murdoch University Art Collection, Perth
Museum of Brisbane
Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia
National Gallery of Victoria, Australia
National Portrait Gallery, Australia
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
Reserve Bank of Australia
Rockhampton Museum of Art
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane
University of Queensland Anthropology Museum, Brisbane
Selected Publications
Riches, E., 2025, ‘National Portrait Gallery acquires major work from Ryan Presley’s Blood Money series’, Art Collector Australia, Able to be viewed at: https://artcollector.net.au/national-portrait-gallery-acquires-work-by-ryan-presley/
Anonymous, 2024, ‘Jelly favorite whets appetite for new public award as city splashes $133,500 on six paintings’, Courier Mail, Able to be viewed at: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rockhampton/jelly-favorite-whets-appetite-for-new-public-award-as-city-splashes-133500-on-six-paintings/news-story/b83b183ae6950e747ceff8e95a24a158
Martin-Chew, L., 2024, ‘Presley permeates an exhibition about legacy of colonialism’, InQueensland, Able to be viewed at: https://www.inqld.com.au/arts-culture/2024/06/05/presley-permeates-an-exhibition-about-legacy-of-colonialism
Jacobs, G., 2024, ‘Heroic figures, fiery haloes: the National Portrait Gallery's wall of secular saints’, Riotact, https://the-riotact.com/heroic-figures-fiery-haloes-the-national-portrait-gallerys-wall-of-secular-saints/764010. Last modified April 28 2024.
Hobday, L., 2024, ‘Mural a parade of rebellious heroes...doing burnouts’, National Indigenous Times (AAP), https://nit.com.au/19-04-2024/10923/mural-a-parade-of-rebellious-heroes-doing-burnouts Last modified April 19 2024.
Guenzler, J., 2022, ‘'BLOOD MONEY' Artwork Money Exchange brings light to Australia's dark history’, National Indigenous Times, https://nit.com.au/09-12-2022/4483/blood-money-artwork-money-exchange-brings-light-to-australias-dark-history. Last modified December 9, 2022
Guerrera, D., 2022, ‘Colonial antidote’, CityMag, https://citymag.indaily.com.au/culture/partnership-culture/colonial-antidote/, Last modified: September 15, 2022
Llewellyn, J. 2022, ‘Fresh Hell transforms the canon into a new narrative’, InDaily, https://indaily.co/379640, Last modified October 10 2022.
Marsh, W., 2022, 'Revenge fantasies for colonised Australia: Ryan Presley's vivid, violent tableaux', The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/sep/08/revenge-fantasies-for-colonised-australia-ryan-presleys-vivid-violent-tableaux, Last modified September 8th 2022, 3.30am.
Hill, W., 2022, 'Ryan Presley: No Exit', Artist Profile Magazine, Issue 60, available online at https://artistprofile.com.au/ryan-presley-2/
Knox, C., 2019, ‘Australian artist creates 'Blood Money' currency to highlight history of Indigenous dispossession’, ABC Arts, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-09/ryan-presley-blood-money-currency-australian-history-indigenous/11687450, Last modified November 9th 2019, 5.18am.
McDonald, J., 2019, ‘Tarnanthi 2019 shows deep wells of Indigenous creativity’, Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/tarnanthi-2019-shows-deep-wells-of-indigenous-creativity-20191022-p53357.html, Last modified October 25th 2019, 4.00pm.
Ayres, E. & Ellen, R., 2019, ‘Learning about ‘guturru’ at Tarnanthi festival’, The Art Show, Radio National, https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-art-show/tarnanthi/11627712
Skujins, A., 2019, ‘Tarnanthi artist invites an exchange of 'blood money'’ INDAILY, https://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/2019/09/16/tarnanthi-artist-invites-an-exchange-of-blood-money/, Last modified on Mon 16 Sept 2019
Convery, S., 2019, ‘Look again: the artist reinventing Australian money for postcolonial payback’ The Gaurdian, https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/jan/24/look-again-the-artist-reinventing-australian-money-for-post-colonial-payback, Last modified on Thu 24 Jan 2019 16.14 AEDT
Beck, N., 2019, ‘Blood Money Currency Exchange Terminal’, 2ser 107.3 ‘So Hot Right Now’ (radio program), https://2ser.com/blood-money-currency-exchange-terminal/, Aired 26th January 2019.
Martin-Chew, L., 2019, ‘Cool Hunter : Ryan Presley’ Art Collector’, Art Collector, Vol. 86, Jan-Mar 2019, pp. 65 – 67. Able to be viewed at: https://artcollector.net.au/ryan-presley-cool-hunter-predictions/
Heartney, E. 2018, 'History Wars', Art in America, October, https://www.artinamericamagazine.com/news-features/magazines/history-wars/
Wlazlo, D., 2018, ‘Melbourne Art Fair’, MEMO Review, https://memoreview.net/blog/melbourne-art-fair-and-spring1883
Que, C., 2018, ‘Melbourne Art Fair : ‘finding its political and global footing’, Ocula, Ocula Report 9th August, https://ocula.com/magazine/reports/melbourne-art-fair-finding-its-political-and-/
Maunder, T., 2018, ‘Blood Money: Ryan Presley and Tess Maunder In Conversation’, Art + Australia Online, http://www.artandaustralia.com/online/discussions/blood-money-ryan-presley-and-tess-maunder-conversation.
Moulton, K., 2018, ‘Prosperity’, un Projects Reviews, http://unprojects.org.au/un-extended/reviews/ryan-presley/
Ed. King, M., 2018, Ryan Presley : Prosperity, IMA Publications, Fortitude Valley
Waterbright, S., 2018, ‘Ryan Presley: Terror Island (Wish You Were Here)’, eyeline magazine, issue 89, pg. 92, https://www.eyelinepublishing.com/eyeline-89/review/ryan-presley
Browning, D., 2018, ‘White saviours, black demons: Christianity and colonialism’ AWAYE! Radio National, https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/white-saviours,-black-demons:-the-nexus-between-christianity-an/9626498
Presley, R., 2018, ‘Prosperity’, Art Monthly Australasia, No. 306, April, pp. 52 – 62.
Sciarone, N., 2018, ‘Trade Markings at Van Abbe – Contextualizing trade and it’s present traces’, Metropolis M, Issue no. 6, Dec-Jan 20181, https://www.metropolism.com/en/reviews/35448_van_abbe_trade_markings
Ed. Foley, F., Nicoll, F. & Martin-Chew, L. 2015, Courting Blakness, University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia
Buttrose, E., 2015, ‘To the fore: The growing legacy of QCA's bachelor of contemporary Australian indigenous art’, Art Monthly Australia, No. 279, May, pp. 52 – 55
Baxter, V., 2014, ‘Blak Wave Rising’, Real Time Arts, issue #120 April-May 2014 pg. 34 – 36, http://www.realtimearts.net/article/issue120/11539
Browning, D., 2013, ‘New Currency: Ryan Presley’ Artlink: Indigenous re-visions, vol.33, pp. 98 – 101.
Browning, D., 2013, ‘The colour of money: Ryan Presley’ AWAYE! Radio National, http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/the-colour-of-money3a-ryan-presley/4730184.
Daw, R., 2012, ‘Animal/Human’ Artlink: Experiment, vol.32:3, pp. 110 – 1113, https://www.artlink.com.au/articles/3865/animal-human/
Taylor, A., 2012, ‘Artwork has real currency’, Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/artwork-has-real-currency-20120428-1xr9x.html
Wills, G., 2011, ‘Preview: Ryan Presley’, Artist Profile, Issue 16 2011, pg. 138 – 139
McDermott, D., 2011, ‘ARTBREAK: ArtStart – Ryan Presley’, SBS STVDIO, television interview, videorecording
Scollay, R., 2011, ‘Artist features people of note’, Koori Mail, Edition 510, Wednesday 21st September, pg. 82
Radok, S., 2011 (ed.), ‘Emerging Talent’, Artlink Indigenous: Beauty and Terror , vol.31, no. 2, pg. 13
Selected Publications (Authored)
Presley, R. 2021, ‘Imagine Victory, Execute Victory’, in RICHARD BELL : YOU CAN GO NOW, exhibition monograph, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, pp. 21 – 25
Presley, R. 2019, ‘Beacons of Hope’, Artlines Magazine, QAGOMA Publications, pp. 16 – 24
Presley, R. 2018, ‘Spirit Trade’ in Ryan Presley : Prosperity, IMA Publications, pp. 73 – 93
Presley, R. 2018, ‘Prosperity’, Art Monthly Australasia, No. 306, April, pp. 52 – 62
Presley, R. 2017, ‘Judy Watson’, in 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial 2017: DEFYING EMPIRE, National Gallery of Australia Press: Canberra.
Presley, R. 2017, ‘Fiona Foley’, in 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial 2017: DEFYING EMPIRE, National Gallery of Australia Press: Canberra.
Presley, R. 2017, ‘Reko Rennie’, in 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial 2017: DEFYING EMPIRE, National Gallery of Australia Press: Canberra.
Presley, R. 2016, ‘They say good fences make good neighbours’, in Over the Fence Contemporary Indigenous Photography from the Corrigan Collection, University of Queensland Press: St Lucia.
Presley, R. 2015, ‘DEBT’, in Courting Blakness: Recalibrating Knowledge in the Sandstone University, University of Queensland Press: St Lucia, pp. 136 – 141
Board Memberships
2025 – 2026 Board of Directors (Artist Representative), National Association for the Visual Arts, Sydney, Australia
2023 – 2025 Board of Directors (First Nations Representative), National Association for the Visual Arts, Sydney, Australia
2011 – 2023 Board Member, Eyeline Magazine, Queensland University of Technology