A major new exhibition Alison Page: Creative Shape Shifter hosted by the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP) celebrates 28 years of contemporary design practice by Dharawal and Yuin designer, artist and cultural leader Alison Page.
Opening as part of Melbourne Design Week, Alison’s first solo exhibition traces the evolution of her multi-disciplinary design practice, highlighting how design can shape justice, social cohesion and environmental futures for Aboriginal communities. Furniture, exhibition design, film, large scale public artworks and jewellery design are all featured.
“This exhibition brings together the stories, materials and cultural relationships that have shaped my practice,” Alison said. “For me, design is a life force. It’s a way for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to connect to Country, to each other, and to the stories that hold this continent together.”
Curated with Associate Professor Jillian Walliss, the exhibition also offers an early glimpse of Alison’s most recent idea for House of BLAK, which invites a collective of First Nations artists and designers to bring Australia’s history and place-based stories to life.
The exhibition coincides with the announcement of Alison as the 2026 Robert Garland Treseder Fellow at ABP. The Fellowship supports designers, thinkers and innovators whose work drives design led cultural and social transformation.
Alison will be delivering a free public lecture titled BLAK: Defining an Australian Design Future.The exhibition and public lecture form a key part of Melbourne Design Week, amplifying national conversations about the shifting histories and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and the future of First Nations design.
ABP Dean Professor Julie Willis said the University is honoured to present this landmark exhibition. “Alison Page’s influence on the next generation—particularly First Nations students—is profound, and this exhibition reflects ABP’s commitment to a future where design is culturally grounded, socially responsive and deeply connected to place.”
An accompanying education guide, generously supported by ClarkeHopkinsClarke, has been developed for secondary schools, offering activities to explore the themes, stories and design practices featured in the exhibition. The guide offers a practical way for students to engage with BLAK design, cultural identity, and the creative legacy of Alison Page.
Acknowledgements
This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects, Tilt Industrial Design, and Breville. We gratefully acknowledge their ongoing commitment to design, innovation, and creative practice.
Alison is the 2026 Robert Garland Treseder Fellow at the Faculty of Architecture, Building, and Planning, University of Melbourne. This Fellowship enables artists, business innovators, designers, policy leaders, start-ups, architects, and scholars dedicated to the development and promotion of design-based innovation to visit Melbourne. We are grateful for the generous ongoing support of the Robert Garland Treseder Fellowship.
