Grace Dlabik is an interdisciplinary artist based in Naarm (Melbourne), whose practice is built on foundations of artistic collaboration. She is an Austrian/Hungarian and Papua New Guinean woman from Lavaipia clan of Lese Oalai, and Motuan clan Botai of Hanuabada. Dlabik’s practice sits at the nexus of contemporary art and traditional cultural practice; informed by the richness of cross-cultural discourse and her fundamental roles as Mama, carer and aunty.

Her work is deeply informed by her Melanesian heritage and the inherent knowledge systems passed down to her, exploring avenues for continuing this ancestral knowledge and practice within the contemporary landscape. Across all modes of art practice, she maintains the intention and conviction of building ecosystems where community care and culture are intrinsically woven and connected.

Grace is the founder and creative director of BE. Collective and BE. ONE. a grass-roots international collective that forges artistic opportunity and pathways for underrepresented creatives. She has delivered programs and projects as a lead artist with Melbourne City Council, Vogue Australia, ACMI, Melbourne Fashion Week, Sugar Mountain Festival and Immigration Museum among others. Through her outstanding talent and exceptional courage, the majority of her multifaceted project outcomes have been independent and self-funded, consistently gaining vast national and international acclaim.

Situated on Wurundjeri Country of the Kulin Nation and while still leading collaborative art projects, Grace is currently dedicating increased focus on her personal art practice, creating works in intuitive, embodied response to the materials of clay, limestone and bronze. She creates and debuts these works in ‘art haus’; her home, studio and gallery, also inviting community to utilize the offerings of this space; building legacies in her true style of establishing deep-rooted ecosystems on a framework of collaborative community connection.