Historical information

Julie Montgarrett is an Australian artist, curator, and educator whose practice spans textiles, drawing, and installation. Over four decades she has developed a distinctive approach that combines narrative, memory, and materiality, using cloth and paper as carriers of stories that are both personal and collective. Her main interests are in the areas of drawing and textile to extend the conceptual and spatial possibilities of textile as narrative questioning dominant Australian histories.

Montgarrett is known for employing textile traditions, such as stitching, dyeing, and assemblage, alongside drawing and installation to create works that are intimate yet expansive in meaning. Ephemeral materials and time-intensive processes become metaphors for endurance, vulnerability, and care, allowing her to weave together past and present in poetic, visually striking forms. In addition to her studio practice, Montgarrett has contributed significantly to the Australian arts community through teaching, mentoring, and curating.