Virginia Fraser (artist) facts for kids

Virginia Fraser was born in Melbourne, Australia, on December 28, 1947. She was a talented Australian First Nations artist, writer, and curator. A curator is someone who helps organize and present art in galleries. Virginia also worked to support women artists. Her art often included video and installations, which are art pieces that use a space to create an experience. She often worked with her friend and partner, Destiny Deacon. Virginia Fraser passed away on January 26, 2021, at the age of 74.

Virginia's Art Journey

Virginia Fraser studied art at university, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts. She started making short films in the 1980s using a special camera called Super 8.

Working with Art

From the 1990s, Virginia began working with photography, video, and installations. She often created these artworks with her creative partner, Destiny Deacon.

Virginia was also part of the City of Melbourne's art buying team for many years. She encouraged them to buy artworks by First Nations artists. She also helped with many visual arts programs.

She worked with curator Natalie King to get Destiny Deacon's artworks ready for a big exhibition. This show, called Walk & don't look blak, was held in Sydney in 2004. Later, Virginia helped the National Gallery of Victoria prepare another major show for Destiny Deacon called DESTINY.

In 2020, Virginia Fraser and Destiny Deacon were invited to be special guest artists at the Australian National University. They shared their knowledge and art with students and the public.

Notable Artworks

You can find examples of Virginia Fraser's photography, remastered Super 8 films, and videos she made with Destiny Deacon in major art galleries. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Important Pieces

• Snow storm: This artwork was made with Destiny Deacon. In 2007, an art critic described it as unforgettable. It featured small figures, like dolls, inside glass boxes filled with white polystyrene balls. The artwork was a strong statement about how a main culture might treat people it has taken over. It suggested that sometimes, even when people think they are protecting Indigenous Australians, they might actually be limiting them. The artwork also highlighted how old, sometimes racist, ideas about Indigenous people can still exist.

• Moomba: What's in a name?: Virginia created a special video for this exhibition in 2008. The video explored the meaning of the word "Moomba." She interviewed family members of an Aboriginal leader and people who knew Indigenous languages. The video asked questions about the word but didn't give a single answer, showing how complex its meaning can be.

Exhibitions

Virginia Fraser's work was shown in several important exhibitions:

• Cultural warriors, National Indigenous Art Triennial, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2007 (She was a contributing artist).
• Making a show of it, Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne, 2008 (She was the curator for this show).
• The Australian group show, Photographers Gallery, South Yarra, date unknown (She exhibited with Brian Windridge, Jilian Gibb, and Fiona Hall).
• Eye in hand, Roar Studios, Fitzroy, date unknown (She exhibited with Maria Rita Barbagallo, Merilee Bennett, Linda Brassil, Ann Storm, Ruth Thompson, and Jenni Viney).

Death

Virginia Fraser passed away in Melbourne on January 26, 2021. When the National Gallery of Australia announced her death, they said she was a strong and constant supporter of women's contributions to Australia's cultural life.