Born and raised in Shepparton, Kimberley Moulton never imagined a career that would take her to some of the world’s most prestigious museums.

Yet, today, she stands as a leading curator, working with institutions such as The Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg and the Tate Modern in London, where she serves as the first Aboriginal Australian curator in the gallery’s history.

Her journey has been shaped by deep cultural roots, a love for art and history, and a commitment to ensuring First Nations stories are heard on a global scale.

A Shepparton childhood

Growing up in Shepparton meant growing up with a strong sense of place.

“I was born and raised in Shepparton,” Kimberley said.

“I’m really glad I had that country experience growing up.

“Proud Yorta Yorta family as well.”

Her childhood was spent between school, community events and the natural landscapes that shaped her sense of identity.

“We used to go up a lot to the river,” she said.

“That was a place my dad really loved.”

The connection to culture was ever-present. A proud Yorta Yorta woman, she was raised with an awareness of her history and community.

“My mum worked at the co-op for many years, and we always went to Rumbalara footy,” she said.

Even as family members moved away, Shepparton remained important to her identity.

“Things have changed, but my heart always is still very located, I think, to Shepparton and the community there,” she said.

“I think the community is just phenomenal.”

Kimberley curated the TarraWarra Biennial 2025, We Are Eagles, which will run from March 29 to July 20.

The exhibition brings together 23 artists to explore themes of cultural connection, history and regeneration, featuring more than 20 newly commissioned works, including contributions from four artists based in Shepparton.

“Shepparton holds a really space in my heart and it’s an honour to be able to work with the Elders at Kaiela (Arts), with the artists, and also be on the board of Shepparton Art Museum,” Kimberley said.

“(SAM) is a really important place for all people of Shepparton and the greater region of Shepparton to come and connect to art or to come have a coffee.

“The team is doing such incredible work as a regional gallery — it’s really phenomenal.

“The collection that we have is incredible for regional galleries.

“I fill my cup when I go home.

A path to curation

Her fascination with art and history started early, nurtured by her family.

“I was always really interested in art and culture growing up, we were really encouraged,” Kimberley said.

“We always did these road trips around country Victoria — Mum and Dad loved anything museums, culture-specific, or old historic homes, that kind of country Victorian vibe, and we’d often do these things.

“I was quite obsessed as a kid with the olden days, and maybe the nostalgia of that.”

A career in the arts felt like a natural path, leading her to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Monash University with a focus on Indigenous studies, art history, visual culture and journalism.

“I was just always interested in the way you can tell story through art and material culture,” she said.

Her first job at Melbourne Museum set her on the path to curating. She worked on outreach programs, taking collections to aged care facilities, kindergartens and even juvenile detention centres.

“It was about making the collection accessible to people that couldn’t get into the museum,” Kimberley said.

“I learned a lot in that role: how to communicate and interpret collections for audiences and connect to all different types of people in our community.”

From there, she moved to the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, working with artists from across Victoria. Over the years, she took on various curatorial positions, balancing community engagement with collection management and research.

International opportunities soon followed, leading her to fellowships with the National Gallery of Australia and projects that expanded her perspective.

“Curating for me is about building relationships with different people, understanding their creative practice, but also the way that objects tell stories and connect to us in different ways,” Kimberley said.

The art of curating

According to Kimberley, a well-executed exhibition is not just about the art — it’s about the experience.

“A clear curatorial thread is important: what are you trying to say to the audience?” she said.

“What do you want the audience to understand from the exhibition?”

To Kimberley, a successful collaboration with the artists, “supporting them to make the best work they can”, goes hand in hand with how a visitor engages with a space.

“When the audience walks into the gallery, what’s their experience?” she said.

“Are they turning left or right?

“What’s the flow, the pace?

“Curating isn’t just about putting a painting on a wall.”

Taking First Nations art to the world

Kimberley’s career rapidly expanded on to the international stage, seeing her curate an exhibition for the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg and a current role at London’s Tate Modern as adjunct curator of Indigenous art.

“(I am) the first Aboriginal Australian (curator they’ve ever had),” she said.

“And the second Indigenous curator they’ve ever had.”

Her work at the Tate isn’t limited to Australian Indigenous art.

“My focus is global,” she said.

“At the moment, it’s been more focused on Australia and the Scandinavian Sámi people, but it’s about ensuring that First Peoples’ voices, art and cultures are understood in the UK and Europe and in a contemporary way.

“There’s still this legacy of thinking that Aboriginal art is set within a period of time, or that it has a particular visual language — dots, for example.

“These fallacies and myths around authenticity and what makes Aboriginal art (persist).

“Being able to challenge that thinking in an international context and support artists … to be profiled internationally is really exciting.”

But that work also comes with challenges.

“It is hard working in an institutional context, whether it’s here or overseas,” she said.

“Processes and rules aren’t always cohesive to working with communities or not always respectful, so it’s about navigating those.”

Looking to the future

While her career has taken her across the world, she remains focused on projects that bring historical collections together with contemporary art.

“I’m really interested in that space,” she said.

“I think in the future, there’ll be more of that kind of work.

“We share our histories, whether you’re Aboriginal or not, and I think we need to get back to that more, to connect with each other.”

With a PhD nearly complete, Kimberley continues to refine her practice.

“I really hate the word ‘expert’,” she said.

“I see myself as someone constantly learning, building experience and knowledge.”

A life she never imagined

Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledges that none of this was on her radar as a child.

“Growing up, I didn’t even know what a curator was or that this kind of work was an option,” Kimberley said.

“But I’m really happy I had the grounding in Shepparton.

“I’m here because of the support that I’ve had from the community, from Elders, from mentors.

“There are some really amazing young emerging curators and art workers in Shepparton.

“I’m so excited for this next generation because they have those opportunities I didn’t necessarily have, and Shepparton didn’t have either.

“It’s really great to see these changes happening.”

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Friday, 18th April 2025

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