Hatched: National Graduate Show artists announced

The lineup of graduate artists that will feature in the 2016 edition of the Hatched: National Graduate Show has been announced by host venue Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) with Athena Thebus as UNSW’s representative in this widely anticipated celebration of new talent.

PICA’s announcement highlighted the fact that the 2016 exhibition will feature a selection of work by 34 new graduates and of these emerging artists- a record 25 are women. This news closely follows International Women’s Day and the launch of The Countess Report, a benchmarking project and online resource on gender equality across Australia's contemporary art sector.

The Countess Report found that women make up only 34% of artists exhibited in Australia’s state museums so to have 74% of Hatched made up of women artists is a landmark.

The selection process for Hatched, now in its 25th year, is a rigorous one. Students are nominated by their art school with the final selection made by an industry panel. This year’s panel was made up of: Nadia Johnson (Hatched Curator), Minaxi May (Education Programs Curator, PICA), Alyce Neal (The Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne) and Andrew Varano (artist, curator, Hatched alumni).

The Hatched: National Graduate Show maps the trends and concerns of Australia’s next generation of emerging contemporary artists. Featuring graduates from 23 art schools and universities nationally, Hatched highlights some of the most exciting emerging artists from across the country. If you are in Perth don’t miss it! 

Hatched: National Graduate Show is on at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts 14 May – 16 July, 2016.