Blak Douglas, a four-time Archibald Prize finalist and winner of the 2022 competition, has opened a new exhibition titled *Home Flown* at NSW Parliament House. The show challenges perceptions of Aboriginal art by parodying the dominance of dot painting and the co-opting of Aboriginal iconography, such as the boomerang, in Australian commercial culture. Douglas uses roundels, laser-cut boomerangs, and killer boomerangs to critique the tax system, colonial structures, and the pressure on Indigenous artists to produce work that is 'identifiably Aboriginal'.
This exhibition matters because it directly confronts systemic issues facing Aboriginal artists in Australia, including economic exploitation, cultural stereotyping, and the expectation to operate within colonial frameworks. Douglas’s work pushes back against the commodification of Aboriginal art in tourist shops and sports merchandise, while also addressing broader frustrations about taxation and sovereignty. As a high-profile Archibald winner, his critique carries weight and sparks necessary conversations about representation, authenticity, and the need for change within Australia’s art prizes and institutions.