Selma Coulthard & Ralph Hobbs, Melbourne Art Fair 2026: Artist Talk

To attend this conversation, please ensure you’ve purchased your Melbourne Art Fair ticket.

Nanda\Hobbs is proud to present a special in-conversation event with acclaimed artist Selma Coulthard and Ralph Hobbs at 12:30pm on Friday 20 February, at Melbourne Art Fair.

This is a rare and meaningful opportunity to hear directly from Coulthard, a senior Pertama Maduthara Luritja artist from Urrampinyi (Tempe Downs Station) in Central Australia. Working from inherited knowledge passed down through her elders and ancestors, Coulthard paints Country as lived, remembered, and upheld through cultural authority. As a senior law woman in her community, her practice carries deep responsibility, embedding layers of meaning within each composition.

Coulthard’s work connects land with storytelling, ceremony, and custodianship. Her paintings map the places of her Country while conveying narratives that are at once personal and ancestral. For the artist, painting is an act of continuation—keeping culture strong and ensuring that the knowledge of the land endures for future generations.

The exhibition is a celebration of heightened colour, remarkable detail, and lyrical linework that traces intricate patterns within the landscape. Coulthard’s discerning eye moves beyond surface description, inviting viewers to attend to the subtle, often overlooked moments that shape our understanding of place.

Fair visitors are warmly invited to join this conversation and gain insight into an artistic practice grounded in cultural continuity, memory, and the enduring presence of Country.

Location: Nanda\Hobbs, Booth J5

Time: 12:30pm - 1:00pm

Date: Friday 20 February