Muru-ba is a physical and online exhibition showcasing the faces and stories of First Nations LGBTQIA+ Elders involved with the LGBTQIA+ rights and First Nations community movements since the 1970s from across Australia.
Muru-ba is a Dharug word gifted to the project by Aunty Julie Jones, that means trail blazer, or path maker.
This online exhibition showcases newly produced portraits taken in February 2023 by renowned Sydney-based photographer Joseph Mayers (Yorta Yorta), which are accompanied by an online exhibition that features newly recorded interviews by Daniel Browning (Bundjalung / Kullilli), ABC journalist and radio broadcaster.
The oral history interviews and photographic portraits will be first displayed at Carriageworks as part of Marri Madung Butbut: First Nations Gathering Space, for the duration of Sydney WorldPride 2023, and will continue as an ongoing and growing online exhibition.
Curated by Steven Ross (Wamba Wamba) and Nick Henderson from the Australian Queer Archives.
Content warning: Some of the transcripts from Muru-ba include references to sexual abuse, suicide, the stolen generations, and deceased peoples.
