Carly Tarkari Dodd is an artist and curator of Kaurna, Narungga, and Ngarrindjeri descent, known for creating contemporary woven jewellery and sculptures. She was taught traditional weaving by Ngarrindjeri Elder Aunty Ellen Trevorrow at a young age. Dodd’s work explores First Nations activism, cultural resilience, and highlights the contrast of Indigenous experiences with forms of colonial power. Her work has gained noteworthy recognition, with recent features at Australian Fashion Week on the David Jones Indigenous Fashion Projects Runway and in Vogue Australia magazine.
In 2018, Dodd was honoured as South Australia’s NAIDOC Young Person of the Year. In 2023, she was a finalist for the inaugural MAKE Award: Biennial Prize for Innovation in Australian Craft and Design, and in 2024, her impact continues to grow, with a nomination for two National Indigenous Fashion Awards. Carly’s works are held in both public and private collections across Australia, and she has exhibited at the Australian Design Centre (NSW), Mars Gallery (VIC), JamFactory (SA), The Mill (SA) and Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (SA)
Select Group Exhibitions:
2025 - NAIDOC WEEK 2025 | THE NEXT GENERATION: STRENGTH, VISION & LEGACY, MARS Gallery, Naarm Melbourne, Kulin Nation, VIC
2025 - Dancing Hands, Craft Victoria, Naarm/ Melbourne, Kulin Nation, VIC
2025 - The Familiar in the Foreign, Australian Design Centre at Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany
2025 - Material & Culture: Exploring craft and identity Rotterdam Design Biennale, Rotterdam,
Netherlands
2025 - Prick Needlwork Now!, RMIT Galleries, Naarm (Melbourne), Kulin Nation, VIC
2025 - Off Beat, Household Gallery, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2025 - Earthing, Melbourne Art Fair, Naarm (Melbourne), Kulin Nation, VIC
2024 - Watch and Listen, Nexus Arts, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2024 - Studios: 2024, Adelaide Contemporary Experimental, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2024 - shared:ground, Funaki Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne), Kulin Nation, VIC
2024 - MARS Gallery Pop Up, Immersive Light and Art (ILA) , Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2024 - Transformative Repair, JamFactory, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2023 - MAKE Award, Australian Design Centre, Warrang Sydney, Gadigal Nation, NSW
2023 - Augmented Revolution, Illuminate Adelaide, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2023 - Materials with Meaning, JamFactory, SALA Festival, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2023 - Your Turn to Listen, Art Pod, SALA Festival, Tarnanthi Festival, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2022 - Reflect the Light, (contributor to Unbound Collective), MOD Museum, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2022 - Festival Plaza X JamFactory, SALA Festival, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2022 - Melbourne Art Fair / MARS Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne), Kulin Nation, VIC
2022 - SANAA, Kerry Packer Civic Gallery, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2021 - Standing on Ceremony, Adelaide Town Hall, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2021 - Close Up, MOD Museum, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2021 - STRNG WMN, Tarnanthi Festival, The Mill, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2021 - Flotsam and Jetsam, Post Office Projects, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2021 - Biophilia, Adelaide Town Hall, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2020 - If the future is to be worth anything, ACE Open, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2020 - Gathered, Carclew, SALA, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2019 - Intrinsic, Art Pod, SALA Festival, Tarnanthi Festival, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2018 - Our Mob, Adelaide Festival Centre, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2018 - Identity, SALA, Adelaide Town Hall, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
Solo Exhibitions:
2024 - Mayinggi est 1859, MARS Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne), Kulin Nation, VIC
2023 - One of Many, Tarnanthi, Post Office Projects, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2022 - Crown Jewels, MARS Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne), Kulin Nation, VIC
2020 - The Studio, Art Gallery of South Australia, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
2019 - Shackled Excellence, The Mill, Tarnanthi, Tarntanya (Adelaide), Kaurna Nation SA
Collections:
2024 - Flinders University Museum Art
2021 - Adelaide Town Hall
Awards:
2024 - Wearable Art Prize (National Indigenous Fashion Awards) - Nominee
2024 - Young Achiever Prize (National Indigenous Fashion Awards) - Nominee
2023 - Inaugural (Make Award) - finalist
2018 - (South Australian NAIDOC) Young Person of the Year - Winner
2018 - Don Dustan Emerging Artist Prize - Highly Commended
Residencies:
2024 - Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE) Studio Artist, Tarntanya (Adelaide)
2019 - The Mill, Tarntanya (Adelaide)
Press:
2024 ACE Studio Program artist: Carly Tarkari Dodd, 2024
Meet the maker Carly Tarkari Dodd - JamFactory Marmalade, 2024
Awaye! - Weaving Aunty's Bag with Carly Dodd, 2023
MAKE Award Finalist Carly Tarkari Dodd On 2ser Breakfast - News2ser, 2023
First Nations artist Carly Tarkari Dodd nominated for MAKE craft, design award, 2023
Artichoke Magazine issue 82 March 2023
In the studio with Carly Tarkari Dodd and Dominic Guerrera, In Daily, 2023
Behind The News, Contemporary Indigenous art: Workshop Tarnanthi Art Festival, 2020
Carly Tarkari Dodd in conversation with Thomas Readett - Art Gallery of South Australia, 2020
Confronting racism through art with Carly Tarkari Dodd CityMag, 2020
Photo: Thomas McCammon, Peter Fong and Lana Adams