Thomas Dixon Centre, Queensland Ballet
Open now – until 27 April
Heritage Hands is a documentary photography and storytelling project preserving traditional craft practices through portraiture, process documentation and oral histories.
Presented at the Thomas Dixon Centre, this exhibition brings together a series of large-scale photographic works alongside objects created by the featured artisans, including a whip maker, chocolatier, wig maker, umbrella maker and antique furniture restorers. Together, these works offer a rare insight into the skill, dedication and cultural knowledge embedded in handmade practice.
The exhibition is accompanied by the Heritage Hands publication, a limited-edition photographic book that extends the project’s storytelling through in-depth artisan profiles and imagery, creating a lasting record of these practices.
At a time when many traditional crafts are in decline, Heritage Hands creates a space for connection – between maker and audience, past and present. The exhibition invites visitors to consider the value of hand skills within contemporary life and the importance of safeguarding these practices for future generations.
Developed in Queensland and expanding nationally, Heritage Hands contributes to a growing archive of cultural knowledge, ensuring these stories and skills are not lost.