Marking the end of his residency at Goolugatup, Cole Baxter brings protest, identity and legacy into a new light for his solo exhibition. Expanding his practice through new materiality, Cole continues to explore these pivotal themes whilst drawing on existing work to bring Blak power to the forefront.

Exploring new mediums, Cole continues to draw on societal moments to ask us how we give justice to and understand the mendacious history that colonisation has thrust upon this continent.

Cole is the inaugural Noongar Artist Residency artist, working with Noongar Residency Curator Zali Morgan.

Image: Cole Baxter, Nothing I'd Rather Be, Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic 340gsm, 100 x 70 cm. Image courtesy the artist.

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Cole Baxter is a Noongar man from the Farmer family, who’re from the Southwest of Western Australia. Primarily a portrait photographer, specialising in live social movement events such as Rallies and Protests. Cole has most recently won 2nd prize in the 2024 Fremantle Ports Manjaree Indigenous Art Competition and the overall category award in the Subiaco Photographic Awards.

In 2023/24 Cole was seen carrying out an artist residency with the Fremantle Arts Centre, Cole held two NAIDOC themed exhibitions this year with the City of Stirling and Wanneroo and in 2023 Cole co-held an exhibition with fellow Noongar artist Ilona McGuire as part of the 10 Nights In Port Fremantle Festival and in November won the 2023 Melville Art Awards overall prize.

Cole was the principal photographer for Ngaluk Waangkiny (Us Talking), a book that explores the legacies of the Noongar elders on the City of Perth Council (2022).

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