Artist talks with Amanda Bell & Ben Galmirr Ward

From Afar: Artist Talks with Amanda Bell & Ben Galmirr Ward

Join artists Amanda Bell (Goomburrup/Bunbury and Undalup/Busselton) and Ben Galmirr Ward (Kununurra) as they share the stories, ideas and inspiration behind their new works for the 2026 Invitation Art Prize.

Hear from Amanda and Ben about their lives and creative practices as First Nations artists working in regional Western Australia, and gain an insight into the experiences that shape their work.

Amanda’s installation Ngaank wardiny (Mother making) brings together different materials to explore memory, the Stolen Generations and connections to contemporary art.

Ben’s Miriwoong Country celebrates his Country, bringing together its interconnected waterways, mountain ranges, bush tucker, medicinal plants and sacred sites.

The talk forms part of the 2026 Invitation Art Prize public program, which brings together ten Western Australian artists presenting brand-new works at Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery.

This is a free event, but bookings are required. Complimentary morning tea will be served from 10.00am when the gallery opens.

About the Artists:

Ben Galmirr Ward

Miriwoong peoples | Lives and works in Kununurra, East Kimberley

Ben is an acclaimed Aboriginal artist and speaker whose life and practice are deeply connected to Country, community and advocacy. He has been strongly involved in land rights and community issues, working for the Aboriginal Development Commission and has been involved with Waringarri Aboriginal Arts since its establishment in the 1980s. In 2015, Ben became the first Indigenous artist to win the prestigious John Fries Award for emerging artists.

Amanda Bell

Badimia Yamatji and Yued Noongar peoples | Lives and works between Wardandi Country, Goomburrup/Bunbury and Wardandi Noongar Boodja Country, Undalup/Busselton

Before moving into being a full-time artist in 2023, Bell worked for years as a social worker. Her work has since been exhibited and acquired by major Western Australian institutions, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery and the City of Bunbury, and she has completed public and commissioned works, including with the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, which is currently showing her work in NEW26.

Getting there

You’ll find Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery between the Joondalup Library and City of Joondalup Administration Building, next to the Council Chambers.

Free public parking is available in the Library Car Park. Alternatively, the gallery is a 13-minute walk from Joondalup Train Station, or you can catch the Blue CAT bus, which departs every 15 minutes from the station.

Accessibility

Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery features a flat, level floor surface and wide doorways. Accessible toilets are available in the gallery.

The Joondalup Library Car Park includes accessible parking bays, with lift access to the main walkway from the underground car park.

Headshot: Ben Galmirr Ward. Photo by Tim Lanzon (Timbee Photography)

Headshot: Amanda Bell. Courtesy of the artist

Image credit: Amanda Bell, From our mouths, lips, throat and belly, 2021. Courtesy of the artist