First Nations Movement

Thomas Readett is an established artist and Ngarrindjeri man who was born and raised on Kaurna Country (Adelaide, SA) where he continues to practice and live. Readett’s practice spans drawing, painting, video, music, advocacy and education.

Since he was a child, Readett has been an avid drawer. In 2015, he graduated from Adelaide Central School of Art mastering in painting and video specialisation. Readett is recognised for his realistic aesthetic that melds street art and classical portraiture, working predominantly in monochrome, in fine detail, and at large scale. His practice explores lived experiences and derives from experiences of love, loss, and grief.

Readett worked with Bangarra Dance Theatre to represent the leading First Nations performance groups that perform at Adelaide Festival Centre annually.

The artist discussed:

‘I reached out to Bangarra in hopes that I could use one of their dancers as a model to represent First Nations performance through figurative pose and movement. I worked with Gisella Mandaglio of Bangarra to find the right image, Gisella and Bangarra presented me with an image taken by photographer Daniel Boud which depicts dancer Lillian Banks during the production Terrain. This image struck me as Lillian’s pose was powerful but as was her portrait and gaze which are strong elements of my practice.’