Michael Cook

Michael Cook (born 25 August 1968) is an Aboriginal Australian photographic artist of Bidjara (south-western Queensland) heritage, whose work is held in major Australian galleries. He strives to promote understanding of Indigenous Australian culture and history in his work, and is the winner of two Deadly Awards.

Early life and education Michael Cook was born on 25 August 1968 in Brisbane, Queensland. He was raised by adoptive parents Ronda and Keith Cook,

His natural mother, Valda Cook (no relation to the adoptive Cooks), was a white teenager. After making contact with Valda as an adult, he learnt that his father was Bidjara, but he has never met him or spoken to him. and Undiscovered, which were included in the 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial, titled Undisclosed, in 2012, and are now held in the NGA. They examine the colonial history of Australia in a way that provokes the imagination. He was also awarded the Greene Street Studio Residency in New York City in 2014 by the Australia Council.

In 2020 his series "Livin’ the Dream" was selected for the Paris Photo art fair in New York, before its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020 the first major survey exhibition of Cook's work, entitled Michael Cook: Undiscovered, was mounted at the new University of the Sunshine Coast Gallery, accompanied by a monograph. 2011: Winner, "Visual Artist of the Year", 17th Annual Deadly Awards National Museum of World Cultures, Netherlands

Selected exhibitions Solo Through My Eyes (2010)

Group 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial, titled unDisclosed, at the NGA (2012) 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane (2013) Lifelines: Indigenous Contemporary Art from Australia, Musée de la Civilisation in Québec, Canada (2016) Cape Town Art Fair, South Africa (2019)