Conduit for Country

Join us for Conduit for Country with Caleb Nichols-Mansell.

Caleb Nichols-Mansell is a proud Tasmanian Aboriginal man with deep connections to Country, community, and culture. Born 1995 in Launceston, Tasmania, he lives and works in Burnie, Tasmania. McClelland welcomes Caleb for Conduit to Country, an opportunity to share and reflect on Caleb’s art practice interpretation and response to country through his work as a visual and cultural artist. Nichols-Mansell has been involved in public art commissions throughout Tasmania and is passionate about embedding Aboriginal art, culture, stories, and knowledge throughout the island. Caleb is the founder of Blackspace Creative Arts and Cultural Hub, Tasmania’s first Aboriginal owned and operated art centre.

Delving into and shining light on the politics of identity, land, and cultural heritage his artwork aims to generate conversation and evoke deep thinking whilst providing the broader community with an intimate look at what it means to be Tasmanian Aboriginal man in modern day Tasmania.

Caleb is one of four First Nations artists selected to take part in the Bunurong Fieldwork Residency at McClelland. The residency program aims to develop the artists’ skills and capacity in public art, and to deliver major creative outcomes.

Each artist stays at McClelland’s studio cottage, developing detailed concept proposals for a permanent site-specific public artwork. While in residence, each artist will be supported by McClelland to engage with the Bunurong community to develop a concept proposal for a public artwork that will directly relate to the Bunurong culture and heritage of the land on which it will be based.

The Bunurong Fieldwork Residency at McClelland is supported by the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation and Service Stream and has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.