Hiroe Swen’s Landmark Ceramic Work Featured at the National Gallery of Australia
One of Hiroe Swen’s largest and most significant ceramic works is now on display at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra as part of the exhibition Migration and Modernism: Émigré Artists in Post-War Australia. The work was acquired by the NGA in 2025, marking an important recognition of Swen’s contribution to Australian ceramic art.
The exhibition celebrates artists who migrated to Australia and helped shape the nation’s post-war cultural landscape. Alongside Hiroe Swen, it features a diverse range of artists from migrant backgrounds, including influential figures connected to art education and the development of modern Australian art.
Born in Kyoto and based in the Canberra region since the 1970s, Hiroe Swen has been one of Australia’s most respected ceramic artists for more than five decades, inspiring generations of artists through her innovative practice and teaching.
Exhibition Details
Migration and Modernism: Émigré Artists in Post-War Australia
23 May 2026 – 7 March 2027
Level 2, Gallery 21
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Free admission
For more information about Hiroe Swen and her work: