Award-winning author Maxine Beneba-Clarke’s illustrations are on exhibition now as part of the summer exhibition program at CS Gallery.
Wonderful-strong will showcase a vivid array of intimate, hand-drawn watercolour illustrations
from Ms Clarke’s popular books, Black Lives Matter and Fashionista, and is the
first solo exhibition of Maxine’s work in the world.
Carrying a powerful message of Black Love for young African diaspora families, this exhibition
provides a gentle visual narrative for all children to understand the Black Lives Matter
movement and to revel in joyful freedom of expression in black and inclusive fashion.
Ms Clarke’s works have won the Australian Book Industry Award’s Award for Literary
Fiction Book of the Year, the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction, Victorian Premier’s Literary
Award for Poetry, NSW Premier’s Literary Award Multicultural NSW Award and the Children’s
Book Council of Australia’s Honour Book.
Ms Clarke said she’s “absolutely thrilled” to be able to exhibit the original illustrations for Fashionista and When We Say Black Lives Matter in a diverse community in Melbourne’s west, very close to where they were created.
“Although these artworks have now been published as reproductions and critically acclaimed
internationally through my picture books, the original artwork has never before been exhibited,” she said.
“It’s my hope that in addition to sparking conversations about the value of Black lives, and the
strength of communities of colour, the themes of joy, pride, creativity, community, and
resistance will resonate with big and little kids from all different backgrounds.”
The Wonderful-strong exhibition is on from Tuesday 13 December 2022 until Thursday 16
March 2023.
