Portrait of Patrick William Carter. Courtesy: the artist and sweet pea, Perth.

“When I paint I’m happy. I like the bush, seeds, nature, flowers, my family, love, wrestlers and snakes.”

Artist features new paintings by Noongar artist Patrick William Carter made during his residency at the Centre for Stories. Carter’s painting practice is influenced by his love of music and dance and he often plays songs while painting. Coming to the art studio at Centre for Stories and having a regular art practice is very important to the artist in feeling strong and connected to himself, his culture and creativity. Through painting what he loves, Carter creates symbols and stories. His use of colour is imaginative and playful.

Carter is an artist and performer who works across performance, video, sound and painting. His work with The Lost Generation Project in 2007 and 2008 laid the foundations for a multi-disciplinary practice that includes elements of painting, dance, animation and musical composition. His digital and film works have been exhibited nationally, including in HERE&NOW13, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia (2013), Revealed, Fremantle Arts Centre (2016 and 2019), Tarnanthi Festival’s New Light (2017), and Enlighten Festival in Canberra (2018).

In 2018 and 2019 Carter was a cast member and contributor on You Know We Belong Together, a Perth Festival, Black Swan State Theatre Company and DADAA co-production. He collaborated with Sam Fox and Sam Price on a film made for the Yagan Square Tower, Fireworks, continuing these collaborations on the 2021 Perth Festival film commission Wind, presented again on Yagan Square Tower and in Carter’s solo exhibition, YEDI / SONGS from Patrick William Carter, at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. This exhibition offered a survey of Carters’ experimentations across different mediums, and the development of his significant, ongoing collaborations with filmmakers and musicians.

Carter is a strong, confident and performative painter: “I’m happy”

Opening Event: Saturday 17 June, from 3pm.

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