Indigenous student art competition
At Deakin, we are proud of our history of Indigenous education and consider First Nations students to be an integral part of our university community. Upon graduation, you will join over 1000 other First Nations students who have completed their studies at our institution over the last three decades.
Art is one of the most powerful expressions of Indigenous culture. For over 40,000 years, Aboriginal rock paintings have told unique and interconnected stories about identity, spirituality, kinship, and the land. We believe in recognising and learning from from the world's oldest continuous living culture.
Today, First Nations artists continue to create incredible works of art in a range of styles and mediums, from traditional to modern. This vibrant and ever-evolving space is where cultural stories, current issues, and personal expression come together.
Share your art
As part of the recently launched Deakin Indigenous Strategy 2023–28, we pledge to move Indigenous Knowledges into the fabric of Australian life.
An initiative of this commitment is our Indigenous Student Art Competition. We invite Indigenous students to contribute a piece of their own original visual artwork that represents their learning journey, connection to Country, and demonstrates Deakin's values of inclusivity and sustainability.
We encourage all styles of art and look forward to sharing received submissions with our Deakin community to bring us together to learn and grow.
The competition
Indigenous students have until Sunday 18 August to submit their artwork using the form below.
During the week of Monday 19 – Friday 30 August, a judging panel comprising of Deakin staff members will select five winners.
These winners – each of whom will receive a $200 Woolworths voucher – will be notified via email on Monday 2 September.
Possible artwork commission
From the submitted pieces, we may also choose to commission one artwork for a period of three years, which we’ll use across health and wellbeing activities at Deakin. If we commission your artwork, you’ll be paid a one-off fee of $2000.
Deakin will provide all necessary documentation to give effect to the commissioning and licensing of the artwork, and payment will be made to the artist upon receipt of the signed documentation and payment instructions (and tax invoice if appropriate).