Destiny Deacon facts for kids

Destiny Deacon (1957 – May 2024) was an amazing Indigenous Australian artist. She was known for her photography and films. Her art was shown all over Australia and in other countries too. Destiny used her art to talk about important topics like politics. She also showed how Indigenous Australian cultures were sometimes treated unfairly. She helped create the word "Blak". This word describes modern Indigenous Australians' art, culture, and history.

Growing Up and Education

Destiny Deacon was born in 1957 in Maryborough, Queensland. Her family came from the K'ua K'ua/Kuku people of Far North Queensland. They also came from the Erub/Mer people of Darnley Island. These are Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In 1959, Destiny moved to Port Melbourne, Victoria. She lived with her mother, Eleanor Harding. Her father, Warren Deacon, worked on the docks. Destiny's parents later separated. Her mother raised Destiny and her siblings. A close Indigenous community helped them. They lived in different suburbs of Melbourne. This included commission housing. This experience showed Destiny many different parts of the world.

From Politics to Photography

Destiny became interested in photography very early. But she first decided to study politics at university. Her mother was very active in politics. She was part of the United Council of Aboriginal Women. Destiny went to the University of Melbourne. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in politics. She also got a teaching diploma from La Trobe University.

After university, Destiny taught history. She worked in various schools around Victoria. Later, she taught Australian Writing and Culture. She also taught Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Production. This was at Melbourne University.

In 1990, she worked at a community radio station, 3CR. After this, she decided to become a professional photographer. She held an exhibition with some friends.

Her Art and Messages

Before becoming a professional photographer, Destiny worked with Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins. She worked in Canberra. Her strong interest in politics led her to be one of his "Angels." This was the start of her journey into art.

Destiny used what she learned about politics. She also used her upbringing. She started taking photos of her culture. She often used her special "black dollies" and other fun, everyday items as props. She used these to show the problems of racism in Australia.

How Destiny Created Her Art

Destiny once said that photography was invented by white people. She found it very technical. But she discovered it was a great way to share her feelings. She worked with many different art forms. These included photography, video, installation, and performance.

Her most famous work used dolls. She used them to talk about racism in Australia. Destiny's photos often showed a contrast. They put popular non-Indigenous culture against Indigenous life. She made funny, yet serious, pictures. She used Aboriginal images, everyday objects, family, and friends. She put them in unusual situations.

In her Oz (1998) series, she used Koori dolls. These dolls showed how identity is created. She used The Wizard of Oz as a starting point. She showed how history and identity in Australia were sometimes made up. This reminded people that things are not always what they seem. History can be written like a story.

The Term "Blak"

Destiny Deacon is said to have created the term "Blak". This was in 1991. She used it to talk about Indigenous Australian culture. It was part of her series Blak lik mi. This series was shown in Sydney.

The phrase was inspired by a 1961 book. It was called Black Like Me. In that book, a white journalist pretended to be African American. He traveled through the US Deep South. This was during a time of racial segregation. Destiny removed the 'c' from 'black'. She said this was a way to stand up against racial slurs. These slurs were used against people of color.

It's also thought that Destiny might have taken the term from American hip hop or rap. The idea was to "take back" words and ideas. These words had been used to describe Black or Blackness. It was about taking back power and control. Destiny said it was "taking on the 'colonisers' language and flipping it on its head." It was a way to show real urban Aboriginal identity.

Her work Where's Mickey? (2003) showed a big difference. It showed how white Australians saw Indigenous people. It also showed the real lives of her family and friends. Destiny said her work had humor that "cuts deep." She liked to think there was "a laugh and a tear in each."

Exhibitions and Achievements

One of Destiny's early video works was "Home video" (1987). Her first show was "Pitcha Mi Koori." It was part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. In 1991, her art was in the Aboriginal Women's Exhibition. This was at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.

Her first solo show was Caste Offs. It was held in 1993 in Sydney. Destiny's work started to appear in group shows in 1994. These included Blakness: Blak City Culture! in Melbourne. Her video "Welcome to My Koori World" (1992) was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was also shown on ABC Television.

In 1998, Destiny explored her mother's life. She photographed her family in the Torres Strait Islands. This was after her mother's death. She showed this journey in a show called Postcards from Mummy. This trip helped her deal with losing her mother. It also showed the importance of history, memory, and place for identity.

Destiny's art was shown in many exhibitions. These were both in Australia and around the world. Some famous ones include Havana Biennial (1994) and Documenta 11 (2002).

Freefall (2001) by Deacon at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra in 2023

Her first big show looking back at her work was Walk & don’t look blak. It was held in 2004 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. It showed 14 years of her art. This show then traveled to other places. These included Melbourne, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and Japan.

In 2020, the National Gallery of Victoria held a special exhibition. It was called DESTINY. It was the first big show of her work in 15 years. It was curated by Myles Russell-Cook. He also edited a large book about her art and life.

In 2022, Destiny Deacon received two special awards. She got the Centenary medal. She also became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

Death

Destiny Deacon passed away in Melbourne in May 2024. She was 67 years old.