Notes from a Journey Home

Joshua Searle

23 April - 4 May 2025

Exhibition Launch
Wednesday 23rd April

Saint Cloche is proud to present Notes from a Journey Home, a new solo exhibition by Joshua Searle. This body of work stems from the artist’s recent research fellowship in Colombia—his mother’s country of birth—where he explored the nation’s rich sculptural traditions through first-hand encounters with Pre-Columbian artefacts.

Searle was the recipient of the 2024 Mason Family Trust Fellowship, marking his first visit to Colombia and the first time meeting much of his extended family. The experience was deeply personal, shaping a new perspective on his diasporic identity and artistic practice.

In previous exhibitions, Searle has worked from historical texts to examine institutional collecting and the displacement of cultural objects. This time, he draws directly from his own observations, documenting his research through painting and sculpture. Many of the works in Notes from a Journey Home reference artefacts housed in Bogotá’s Museo del Oro and Museo Arqueológico, both located in his mother’s hometown. This shift—from textual to firsthand engagement—marks a significant evolution in his practice.

“This was the first time I was able to stand in front of the objects I’ve been researching for years, to see the weight of their presence and feel their materiality. These works come from that direct experience—drawing, remembering, and translating that encounter into my own language.”

Joshua Searle

Joshua Searle (b. 1998) is an Australian-Colombian artist whose practice examines socio-cultural issues, diasporic identity, and the legacies of colonisation. Primarily a painter, he also works across sculpture, contemporary jewellery, glass, and printmaking. His work challenges institutional collecting practices while celebrating Black excellence and the strength of his cultural heritage.

Searle’s practice frequently employs figurative repetition, with meaning shifting in response to historical and personal contexts. His major projects—including Wall of Gold (2023), Stolen Gold (2023–24), and Museo del Oro Robado (Museum of Stolen Gold) (2024)—engage with Pre-Columbian artefacts, exploring their presence in museum collections as a way to understand his own diasporic history.

In 2023, Searle was a finalist in the Sir John Sulman Prize (AGNSW) and received several commissions with the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, including for the Archibald Prize Exhibition. In 2024, he was a finalist in the National Works on Paper Prize (MPRG). His most recent solo exhibition, Relentless Optimism (2024), was held at North Gallery, Melbourne.

Searle is the current recipient of the 2024 Mason Family Trust Fellowship, which supported his research in Colombia. This experience—examining Indigenous goldsmithing and sculptural practices—has informed Notes from a Journey Home, bringing a deeply personal dimension to his ongoing exploration of cultural reclamation.

Joshua Searle

Joshua Searle (b. 1998) is an Australian-Colombian artist whose practice examines socio-cultural issues, diasporic identity, and the legacies of colonisation. Primarily a painter, he also works across sculpture, contemporary jewellery, glass, and printmaking. His work challenges institutional collecting practices while celebrating Black excellence and the strength of his cultural heritage.

Searle’s practice frequently employs figurative repetition, with meaning shifting in response to historical and personal contexts. His major projects—including Wall of Gold (2023), Stolen Gold (2023–24), and Museo del Oro Robado (Museum of Stolen Gold) (2024)—engage with Pre-Columbian artefacts, exploring their presence in museum collections as a way to understand his own diasporic history.

In 2023, Searle was a finalist in the Sir John Sulman Prize (AGNSW) and received several commissions with the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, including for the Archibald Prize Exhibition. In 2024, he was a finalist in the National Works on Paper Prize (MPRG). His most recent solo exhibition, Relentless Optimism (2024), was held at North Gallery, Melbourne.

Searle is the current recipient of the 2024 Mason Family Trust Fellowship, which supported his research in Colombia. This experience—examining Indigenous goldsmithing and sculptural practices—has informed Notes from a Journey Home, bringing a deeply personal dimension to his ongoing exploration of cultural reclamation.