Prof Brenda Croft

Brenda L Croft is from the Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra peoples from the Victoria River region of the Northern Territory of Australia, and Anglo-Australian/German/Irish/Chinese heritage.

Brenda’s four decades multi-disciplinary creative-led research encompasses critical performative Indigenous autoethnography, First Nations Storywork/Storying and embodied cultural archaeology. Her creative-led research is grounded in long-standing culturally respectful engagement with Australian and international First Nations communities, especially patrilineal family and community members.

In 2021 Brenda was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (UNSW). In 2022 she received a UNSW Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis for Kurrwa (stone tool/axehead) to Kartak (container, cup, billycan, pannikin): hand-made/held-ground. Her PhD included the collaborative exhibition, Still in my mind: Gurindji location, experience and visuality. In 2023 the major series Naabami (thou shall/will see): Barangaroo (army of me) was exhibited in Sydney Festival (dual sites); and The National 4, Art Gallery of NSW.

In 2021 Brenda received an AIAH Art History Research Grant (Indigenous Australian), to support her Semester 2, 2022, OSP (Outside Study Program) based at the ANU North Australian Research Unit (NARU) at CDU, Darwin, NT. In 2022 Brenda’s PhD was selected for the AAANZ Early Career Publishing Program. iN 2022 Brenda received an ANU CASS Research Excellence Award and in 2023 she received an ANU Advancements Academic Champion Award.  

In 2024 Brenda will be the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University across the Departments of History of Art and Architecture, and Art, Film, and Visual Studies. Brenda is privileged to live and work on the unceded sovereign lands of the Ngambri/Ngunnawal Peoples.

Doctor of Philosophy, UNSW (2021); Honorary Doctorate (Visual Arts), University of Sydney (2009); Alumni Award, UNSW (2001); Master of Art Administration, UNSW (1995)

Australian First Nations' contemporary visual arts and culture; international First Nations' contemporary visual arts and culture; Critical Indigenous Performative Autoethnography, First Nations Storywork; Critical Indigenous Studies: Indigenous Knowledges; Creative-led research; Cultural representation; Re/memorying; Archives and access.

Other affiliations: (2024 - ) Australian Research Council College of Experts; (2019 - 23) Indigenous Australian Dictionary of Biography, IWP member; (2022 - ) Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection Advisory Committees (Curatorial & Collections), UVa, USA; (2017 - 22) ARC Centre of Excellence for The Dynamics of Language (CoEDL), Affiliate; (2020 -) Research Centre for Deep History, School of History, Research School of Social Sciences, ANU, Collaborating Scholar.