Vibrant, bold, daring and deadly. These are words that are not only conjured when thinking about proud Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Barkindji artist Josh Muir, but also of his revolutionary artwork.
Readers please be advised that this article discusses a First Nations person who is deceased.
Josh Muir was a prolific First Nations artist, whose artistic practice spanned 12 years, with a lightning fast trajectory that was expected to continue striking hot and fast. His work was celebrated on an international scale, with his unforgettable contribution to Melbourne’s White Night in 2015/16, Still Here, recognised by thousands. That same year, Josh produced a self-portrait, depicting himself donning a Basquiat-esque crown surrounded by flowers, diamonds, and shapes. This work would be titled Forever I Live.
Sadly in 2022, at the young age of 30, Josh Muir passed away suddenly. Through Forever I Live and a collection of his boundless artworks, Josh’s legacy, however, lives on, retrospectively being celebrated through an exhibition of the same title.
Stay up to date with what’s happening within the region’s art scene here.
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A joint exhibition with the Art Gallery of Ballarat and the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT), and co-curated by Josh’s mum Justine Berg and partner Shanaya Sheridan, JXSH MVIR: Forever I Live is presented at the Art Gallery of Ballarat until 2 February 2025
Speaking with Shanaya Sheridan, she details the impact of Josh’s work, his commitment to community and causes close to Josh’s heart, and the life that keeps breathing into the spaces.
“[The exhibition] provides opportunity for…Josh’s peers and all of those peoples whose lives he has touched… to see Josh’s work and what he was able to produce over the many years he was practising art. Often he would put into his art inspiration for other people so it’s the continuation of his legacy and that continuation of inspiring people and being immersed in all things Josh. It’s more exciting than anything.”
Born and raised in Ballarat, Josh’s work is reflective of the people, places, policies and purposes that impacted him, injecting meaning throughout his catalogue through symbols, depiction and storytelling.
“He drew on anything he came into eye contact with and obviously he spent a lot of time growing up in Ballarat so that’s included in it. He had such a unique view on the world and drew inspiration from culture, from land, from community, from other impacts from colonisation including trauma, grief, loss, addiction and he brought all of those elements together to influence his art. I guess that’s what makes it so unique and vibrant are those different elements that he was able to capture and put into one piece or many pieces.”
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Not only were his works outwardly expressing these themes, but they were a vehicle of inward healing for Josh who personally experienced struggles with mental health, addiction, and personal loss. Through his work he was not only able to channel his emotions through art, but use the art as a catalyst for change, advocating for mental health for others struggling.
“He was a natural born artist. His mum Justine often talks about how she bought him his first easel at the age of three and then all throughout his schooling he was always doodling in class and drawing pictures. He was diagnosed with mental health issues in his teens and going through those struggles he used art as a therapeutic means to get him through those struggles. It took off from there,” Sheridan explains.
“That was something Josh spoke about through his different roles within the community as well. He did a lot of work with the youth and Headspace National, telling his story and using that art as an inspiration for those who were struggling with their mental health and youth as well. Those were his passions and I hope this exhibition continues Josh’s role modelling. He lived by the motto, “Aim For The Stars, Not The Streetlights” and we hope that the audiences do continue to aim for the stars.”
The impact of his work has also filtered down through his DNA, his five year old son Jamari already immersed in art with striking similarities to Josh’s signature style, whilst three-year daughter Jyla is a striking resemblance to her dad.
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“Our son Jamari is already experimenting with different platforms as well. You see him doodling with textas on paper and he’s coming up with characters that are very similar to Josh’s. I hope he 100% continues in his dad’s footsteps and that’s continuing his legacy as well,” says Sheridan.
Throughout Josh’s story, the unshakable feeling of spirit and serendipity is overwhelming. It’s present in Sheridan’s sharing, it’s predominant in the community conversations but it’s especially powerful in Josh’s artwork. Josh built his legacy, but he also created the name it would live under in Forever I Live.
“He will forever live on in our children, in his art, in the lives of everyone he touched. He made such an impact on the Victorian Aboriginal community and the art scene not just nationwide but internationally as well. His legacy will forever live on.”
Forever I Live is on at Art Gallery of Ballarat until 2 February. Find out more here.
