Exhibition namesake artwork - Huddle (study) 2024 - oil on canvas by ECU's Gregory Pryor
Huddle, showing at Ellenbrook Arts from 17 October to 27 November, brings together a striking body of new work from Gregory Pryor, including two major collaborations with Dr Jennifer Moyle Ogbeide-Ihama.
The exhibition will be officially opened to the public by Hannah Mathews, Director of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), from 6–8pm on Friday 17 October and artist floor talks are scheduled on Saturday 25 and October 15 November (RSVP details below).
At its heart, Huddle reflects on the ways people respond to uncertainty – whether through isolation, gathering together, or finding courage in community. The title work examines how groups might come together in the face of fear or change, transforming vulnerability into collective resilience.
In this exhibition, Pryor extends his ongoing inquiry into place, belonging, and the complex histories embedded in Western Australia's landscapes.
"A huddle can be an act of protection, secrecy, or strategy," says Pryor.
"It can also become a shared space of strength, where we find new ways to understand each other and the world around us."
Art as dialogue and decolonisation
Central to Huddle are Pryor's collaborations with Dr Jennifer Moyle Ogbeide-Ihama, an artist, writer and academic whose Wardandi and Koreng Noongar heritage deeply informs her creative practice.
Together, they have created Ngalak Wonga, a large-scale installation of 200 painted and mixed-media panels that tell 100 shared stories in text and image. Each piece emerged from an intimate process of dialogue and trust: the artists met twice weekly online, reading their stories aloud and responding visually to one another's narratives.
These exchanges reveal the power of storytelling as a decolonising act — reclaiming agency through shared reflection, empathy, and cultural strength. "It's been a process of listening, respect and reciprocity," Ogbeide-Ihama says. "Through story, we both acknowledge how the colonial past continues to shape our experiences, while finding pathways of renewal and connection."
The exhibition also features Extracts from the Red List (Mother Mo), a striking installation that brings attention to 76 endangered eucalyptus species identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Combining text and repurposed periodical boxes, the work draws parallels between ecological fragility and cultural survival.
About the Artists
Gregory Pryor is a nationally recognised artist, writer and academic based in Boorloo (Perth). As Academic Lead and Lecturer in Visual Art at ECU's School of Arts and Humanities, his practice spans painting, drawing, and installation, exploring themes of postcolonial dialogue and environmental change. His work is represented in major national collections including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria.
Dr Jennifer Moyle Ogbeide-Ihama, Academic Lead of Indigenous Knowledges in ECU's School of Arts and Humanities, is an artist, writer and researcher based in Undalup (Busselton). Drawing from her Noongar ancestry, her creative work weaves together poetry, story and visual form to explore interconnectedness, resilience and renewal.
Together, their collaboration in Huddle offers a profound meditation on what it means to come together — in art, in conversation, and in Country.
Huddle
Venue: Ellenbrook Arts, 34 Main Street, Ellenbrook Ellenbrook Arts - Promoting the Arts and Culture in Ellenbrook, WA
Exhibition dates: 17 October – 27 November
Opening night: Friday 17 October, 6:00–8:00pm – open to the public, please RSVP
Artist floor talks:
Saturday 25 October RSVP
Saturday 15 November RSVP
Private viewings: contact Olivia Colja at 0430 222 086 or olivia@ellenbrookarts.com.au
