Mrs Kat Bell
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Art and Design
College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities
I am a Gudjal and Girramay First Nations artist, curator, writer, and PhD candidate whose practice moves across immersive exhibition design, storytelling, and interdisciplinary artmaking. Working across painting, textiles, digital media, and film, my work is grounded in lived experience and expresses stories of culture, resilience, memory, and deep connection to Country.
My PhD research, Decolonising Curatorial Practices: Indigenous-led intercultural exchange, storytelling and immersive exhibition design in representing Indigenous arts, cultures and stories, explores how Indigenous storytelling can guide new ways of curating within contemporary exhibition spaces. At the heart of this work is the development of Indigenous-led frameworks that centre community authority, relational ways of knowing, and cultural protocols, while thoughtfully engaging with new media technologies and immersive design.
My research is deeply collaborative and practice led. I work alongside First Nations artists from the Riverland Murray River region of South Australia and Temuan Orang Asli artists from Malaysia through the intercultural exchange project Birula Yuniman & Pulau Moyang – a conversation between two old friends. Together, we co-create artworks and curate immersive exhibitions that centre Indigenous voices, relationships to river and forest, and shared responsibilities of caring for Country.
Guiding my work is Birrala Nyina (Sit Down Talk), a process grounded in trust, reciprocity, and deep listening. Through yarning, sharing circles, on-Country experiences, and collaborative artmaking, storytelling unfolds in ways that are led by community and shaped by lived cultural knowledge. I weave together traditional practices, such as weaving, textiles, ecoprint, and puppetry, with contemporary media including soundscapes, moving image, and augmented reality to create layered, immersive experiences that invite audiences to engage more deeply and meaningfully.
At its core, my work is about transforming how stories are shared and experienced. I am interested in how exhibitions can move beyond representation to become relational, living spaces shaped by Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Through my artistic and research practice, I aim to create spaces where Indigenous knowledge systems are not only shared, but actively guide how stories are told, felt, and understood across cultures.
My research has been made possible through the generous support of scholarships, grants, and partnerships that recognise the value of Indigenous-led creative research, intercultural exchange, and community collaboration.
I have been supported through the Helen Stacey Bunton Philanthropic Scholarship, the Aboriginal Research Enterprise Partnership Scholarship, and the Marcia Nichol Women in Research Scholarship Top-Up, which together have provided foundational support for the development of my PhD research.
International collaboration has been further enabled through the Helen Stacey Bunton International Travel Grant, supporting on-Country exchange, relationship-building, and collaborative work with Temuan Orang Asli artists and community in Malaysia.
Creative and community-focused aspects of this research have been supported by a Regional Arts Australia Grant, as well as three SA Museum Inspiring SA Grants, awarded across the areas of:
- Community Engagement
- Reconciliation
- STEM & Arts Engagement
These funding contributions have supported workshops, community engagement activities, intercultural exchange, and the development of immersive exhibition outcomes.
Together, this support reflects a shared commitment to fostering Indigenous storytelling, strengthening community-led practice, and creating meaningful cultural exchange across local and international contexts.
Available For Media Comment.