Project Description
In 2026 Griffith University Art Museum (GUAM) was delighted to present ‘Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line’.
Curated by Ela Egidy and Megan Patty and touring from the Melbourne School of Design, ‘Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line’ is the largest exhibition of Catherine Griffiths’ work presented in Australia to date. The exhibition offers a unique chance to experience the provocations and physical qualities of Griffiths’ practice, where form and materiality are at once visible and tactile.
For four decades, Catherine Griffiths, designer and artist from Aotearoa New Zealand, has attentively examined the potentials of language, materiality and drawing in space. Her work operates at the nexus of an expanded, socially-engaged, interdisciplinary practice founded in graphic design, with a focus on typography, sculptural form, and public art.
Griffiths reconfigures typographic context and meaning through shifts in scale and the immersive experience, transforming how we perceive and interact with language, from the concrete to the abstract.
Throughout her career, Griffiths has used language, light and sound as both a material and conceptual force. Through typographic installations, time-based media, and site-specific interventions, Griffiths encourages the viewer to read between the lines, engage in spatial dialogues and consider the alternative.
GUAM Acting Director Carrie McCarthy says: “We are thrilled to bring this important exhibition to Griffith University Art Museum, which is particularly relevant given our position on the Queensland College of Art & Design campus. The contributions Catherine Griffiths has made to design internationally are inspiring, and we are delighted to share this work with new audiences and students here in Brisbane.”
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
GUAM is open to all members of the public who are invited to view and learn from ‘Catherine Griffiths: Out of Line’ during GUAMs regular opening hours.
High School tours and tours for QCAD students were held along with numerous public programs.
Outcomes to Date
The exhibition concluded in May 2026 with over 32,372 local, state, national and international visitors.
GUAM hosted Catherine Griffiths for the first week of the exhibition and delivered several public programs during this time, including: workshop ROCK Study with Scape accommodation; a lecture for third year QCAD students; public lecture Provocations and Poetics; artist talk and opening event. GUAM staff also facilitated a visit to the Collection store on Nathan Campus for Catherine to view the University’s political poster collection.
Several tours from QCAD class groups were facilitated by GUAM staff throughout the exhibition’s duration. The exhibition coincided with QCAD’s Orientation Week and Creative Arts Open Day which encouraged large visitor numbers, specifically QCAD students, and provided an opportunity for several exhibition tours.
The exhibition is being considered for touring to Design Tasmania in Launceston.
Project Significance
All of GUAM’s exhibitions are free, accessible, open to the public and contribute to SDG 4 ‘Quality Education’ and SDG 11 ‘Sustainable Cities and Communities’ particularly 11.2.3 ‘Public access to museums’.
GUAM also created new and strengthened existing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including: Griffith University Design, QCAD, NGV, University of Melbourne, Design Institute of Australia, Scape, local education providers, artists and UQ Art Museum.