SERA WATERS SAPPERS & SHRAPNEL, ART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
11 November to 29 January 2026
Sappers & Shrapnel
Sappers & Shrapnel is a contemporary art project inspired by the little-known and undervalued art form known as trench art. This term describes the objects made from the waste of warfare – objects crafted by soldiers, civilians and prisoners of war. Whether intended as trophies of war, souvenirs for those at home, or talismans for the battle ahead, trench art is an expression of our ineffable need to make art.
This ambitious exhibition has been curated by Dr Lisa Slade and includes trench art from the collection of the Australian War Memorial including those made by Tasmanian Sapper Stanley K. Pearl alongside the compelling work of contemporary artists including Tony Albert, Olga Cironis, Nicholas Folland, Brett Graham, Fiona Hall, Richard Lewer, Alasdair McLuckie, Baden Pailthorpe, Ben Quilty, Sera Waters and Rene Wanuny Kulitja, Judy Ukampari Trigger, Erica Ikungka Shorty, Lucille Armstrong, Mary Katajuku Pan, Janet Inyika, Niningka Lewis and Freda Teamay from the Tjanpi Desert Weavers.
Supported by the Australian Government’s Anzac Centenary Arts and Culture Fund.
The Sappers & Shrapnel publication publication featuring essays by Richard Flanagan, Genevieve Grieves, Ryan Johnston, Nicholas J Saunders, Lisa Slade and other authors. Copies can be purchased through the Hugo Michell Gallery Online Shop here.