Tal Fitzpatrick, Raquel Ormella, Stephanie Pfennigwerth, Rechelle turner (wiradyuri)
7 November 2026
Day + Time | Saturday | Noon – 1:30pm
Location | Canberra Contemporary, 44 Queen Elizabeth Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600
Entry | Free | Registration required
Access | Wheelchair accessible, accessible parking, accessible bathroom, assistance animals welcome
Join Canberra Contemporary for a panel discussion on the theme of this year’s Craft + Design Canberra Festival, Dissent, featuring feminist artist and craftivist Dr Tal Fitzpatrick, MoAD curator Stephanie Pfennigwerth, Wiradyuri artist and co-founder of the First Nations fashion label ‘Corella & Crow’, Rechelle Turner and moderated by artist Raquel Ormella. The discussion will draw out themes in Tal Fitzpatrick’s artistic practice, weaving conversations about power, rage, politics and craft.
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Raquel Ormella’s practice encompasses diverse media and pursues two broad thematic streams: the impacts of political language on national identity, and the complex relationship between humans and the natural environment. Her artwork extends beyond the studio to include research, writing, editing and curatorial projects. Her most recent solo exhibition ‘Am I in your way?’ was held at Canberra Contemporary and Milani Gallery in 2025. Also recently completed was the design for an interactive exhibition ‘Now is the Time’, centred on the youth movement to bring action on climate change, at the Children’s Art Centre at Queensland Museum and Gallery of Modern Arts (QAGOMA). Dr Ormella is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Art & Design, Australian National University, Canberra and is a chief investigator on the ARC project: Difficult Objects: Mediating controversy in museums.
SEE ARTIST WEBSITE HERE -
Stephanie Pfennigwerth is a curator with some 15 years of experience in the museum sector. Her collections development and exhibitions work has included numerous considerations of how people are empowered by craft to engage with social justice and environmental issues, or to challenge the status quo. She has worked with craftivist Dr Tal Fitzpatrick on some highly successful exhibition and public program projects, including the #UDHRquilt project and the ‘Changemakers: Crafting a Difference’ display and travelling exhibition with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra.
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Tal Fitzpatrick (b. 1988) is an Australian artist, craftivist and researcher based on the unceded lands of the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh language region. She holds a PhD in Visual Art from the Victorian College of the Arts (2018) and is best known for her artistic and academic contributions to the field of craftivism. As a socially engaged artist working primarily with textiles Tal’s projects deploy craft as a medium for activism, advocacy and as a tool for encouraging participation in the everyday practice of democracy. Her individual and collaborative projects have engaged hundreds of people by deploying the gentle and familiar nature of cloth to tackle challenging issues such as gender-based violence, human rights violations and feminine rage.
SEE ARTIST WEBSITE HERE -
Rechelle Turner is a Wiradyuri artist, weaver, designer and educator based on Ngunnawal Country. Working under her creative practice, Nurranurra Art, she creates contemporary woven works informed by Country, culture and connection. Her practice brings together traditional knowledge and contemporary techniques, using natural fibres, sustainable materials and slow-making processes to explore stories of Country, identity and belonging. Rechelle is the co-founder of the First Nations fashion label Corella & Crow, where weaving, natural dyeing, upcycling and handcrafted textiles are incorporated into nationally recognised fashion collections.
Proudly supported by ACT Government, HOTA and Canberra Contemporary
Images | Tal Fitzpatrick | Quietly Seething: Fate, Fury and Transmutation | Photos by Claudio Kirac and Lachlan Woods