Heather B. Swann Awarded $80,000 Commission for Major UNSW Galleries Exhibition

nipaluna/Hobart-based artist Heather B. Swann has been announced as the next recipient of the Copyright Agency Partnerships (CAP) Commission, receiving $80,000 to present The Forests of Symbols at UNSW Galleries, Sydney, from September 4 to November 22, 2026.

The exhibition represents an ambitious new direction for Swann, conceived as the first in a final series of works to be completed during her lifetime. It will bring together newly commissioned and rarely seen works across sculpture, painting, and drawing.

Swann has established a reputation for creating sculptural objects, ink drawings, and paintings of dark, sensual, and fantastic presence. The Forests of Symbols takes its title from a metaphorical approach to understanding the world through symbolism and allegory.

“The Forests of Symbols is an umbrella for what I have made and what I will make,” Swann explained. “My work is situated deep inside my nervous system, and I see the world ‘feelingly’. Floating around in a metaphorical forest of symbols searching for the pathos in things, I am a leaf in the wind, a daydreamer.”

The project explores how human inventions create cultural memory, reminding us that every element of our existence could carry symbolic meaning. “There are too many meanings to make sense in here; the day breaks and the night falls, someone is shooting the breeze, and I hear a faint line singing that this whole wide world is longing for beauty,” Swann said.

UNSW Galleries Director José Da Silva praised the significance of the commission: “Heather creates installations that are potent and full of sensuous atmosphere. She reminds us of the allegorical and metaphoric potential of objects and images, and with this new commission, she extends that vision on an ambitious scale previously unseen. We are thrilled to support her in realising the first iteration of her final artistic project.”

Copyright Agency CEO Josephine Johnston emphasized the program’s impact on artists’ careers: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with UNSW Galleries to present this significant new iteration of CAP. Heather B. Swann’s practice continues to expand the possibilities of contemporary art, and this exhibition will further cement her reputation as one of Australia’s most innovative artists.”

Copyright Agency is an Australian not-for-profit representing over 40,000 creators, including publishers, authors, and visual artists, providing licensing solutions while ensuring creators are fairly paid through its Cultural Fund philanthropic arm.

The Forests of Symbols will be presented at UNSW Galleries, Sydney, from September 4 to November 22, 2026.