We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campus is situated, the people of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Wurrung, who have created art, made music and told their stories here for thousands of generations. We also acknowledge and extend our respect to the Traditional Owners of all lands on which our work is viewed, shared and enjoyed, and to all Elders, past, present and emerging.

VCA Art 2025

Master of Fine Art

To my mother’s grandmother’s mother,
Who was engaged to one of Kelly’s bushrangers until he was shot by cops

Or so the story goes



Through an exploration of inherited matrilineal handcrafting practices and family folklore, my practice investigates the construction of femininity in the rural context of so-called Australia. I consider the role of nostalgia in the construction of settler-colonial narratives, and question how a critically reflective approach might contribute to the unsettling or unravelling of restorative nostalgia.

Thea Jones

Thea Jones, I copied my mother’s handwriting, graphite, N/A, 2025, image courtesy the artist.