| Melbourne, Australia, December 4, 2024 — D’Lan Contemporary is delighted to announce the appointment of Luke Scholes as Director. In this new role, Scholes will support the gallery’s vision of further collaborating with and representing First Nations artists and art centers. He will also work to present a series of curated primary and secondary market exhibitions at D’Lan Contemporary’s galleries in Melbourne, Sydney, and New York.
Scholes brings over 20 years of experience to his role as Director. Since beginning his career as Field Officer and then Assistant Manager at Papunya Tula Artists in 2003, he has forged a reputation as a respected curator and scholar in First Nations art. In 2008, Scholes worked for Martumili Artists in Western Australia before joining the National Gallery of Victoria as Project Officer, Indigenous Art.
In 2015, he was appointed curator of Aboriginal Art and Material Culture at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, where he curated the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards (2016-2020) and the award-winning exhibitions Tjungunutja: from having come together (2017), and The Moment Eternal: Nyapanyapa Yunupingu (2020). More recently, he served as Associate Research Fellow at Deakin University, Melbourne.
“I am thrilled to join the team at D’Lan Contemporary as they continue their exciting trajectory into the global contemporary art market,” said Scholes. “I look forward to working with some of Australia’s finest First Nations artists and art centers to deliver outstanding exhibitions at our galleries and to assisting private collectors and institutions in their efforts to develop collections of significance. With an emphasis on excellence, scholarship and impeccable provenance, our exhibitions and advocacy will seek to further support and develop the burgeoning global interest in Australian First Nations art and artists.’
Regarding Scholes’ appointment, D’Lan Davidson, Director & Founder of D’Lan Contemporary, said, “In his over 20-year career in this sector, Luke has built a reputation based on integrity and scholarship. It is this, and his in-depth knowledge and passion for First Nations art, that will, alongside D’Lan Contemporary Head of Research, Vanessa Merlino, help us deliver an exceptional international exhibition and talks program. We are very excited to welcome him to the team.’
D’Lan Contemporary looks forward to sharing additional information about the projects Scholes will be involved with in the coming weeks, as well as their 2025 exhibition and events program.
ABOUT D’LAN CONTEMPORARY
D’Lan Contemporary was founded in Melbourne, Australia in 2016 by D’Lan Davidson, who has specialized in Australian First Nations art for more than 20 years and was previously Head of Indigenous Art at Sotheby’s Australia.
Representing the continent’s most distinctive and dynamic art movement by the world’s oldest known civilization, D’Lan Contemporary presents regular exhibitions by leading Australian First Nations artists at its galleries in Melbourne, Sydney (opening November 27th), and New York alongside an international program of educational talks and events that celebrate and promote the rich art and culture of the country’s first peoples.
In addition to its international exhibition program, D’Lan Contemporary frequently sources exceptional works of art on behalf of museums, institutions, and noted private collections.
D’Lan Contemporary maintains strict ethical practices and is committed to generating positive industry change to create a sustainable marketplace for this important segment of Australian art and culture. The gallery contributes 30% of its net profits back to First Nations artists and their local communities.
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