Richard Bell

Richard Bell (born 1953 in Charleville, Queensland) is a prominent Australian artist and activist renowned for his provocative works that challenge perceptions of Aboriginal art and address issues of race, politics, and identity. A member of the Kamilaroi, Kooma, Jiman, and Gurang Gurang communities, Bell has become a significant figure in the contemporary Australian art scene. Bell's work often incorporates text, pop culture references, and appropriation of iconic images to confront and critique colonial narratives and Australian history. In 2003, he won the prestigious Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for his painting "Scientia E Metaphysica (Bell's Theorem)," which boldly declared "Aboriginal Art—It's a White Thing." This piece sparked widespread debate about the commodification of Indigenous art and the role of non-Indigenous audiences in its consumption. He co-founded the Brisbane-based Indigenous art collective proppaNOW in 2003, aiming to promote urban Aboriginal artists and provide a platform for politically engaged art. Through this collective, Bell has mentored emerging artists and fostered a community focused on social commentary and activism. Internationally, Bell has exhibited at significant venues such as the Venice Biennale in 2019. There, his installation "Embassy" recreated and paid homage to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a protest camp established on January 26, 1972, by Aboriginal activists Michael Anderson, Billy Craigie, Tony Coorie, and Bert Williams. Initially set up under a beach umbrella on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, the Tent Embassy was a response to government policies affecting Indigenous Australians. Over the years, it has become a cornerstone of the Indigenous Land Rights Movement, bringing issues of health, housing, and land rights to the forefront of Australian politics. Bell's "Embassy" serves as a space for dialogue on Indigenous rights and sovereignty, continuing the conversation initiated by the original Tent Embassy. His work has also been featured in exhibitions at the Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.