Photo by Jason Hamilton

Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis is a proud Aboriginal woman of Pitta Pitta descent. She was born and raised on Wadawurrung/Wathaurong Country and currently works as an artist and researcher on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung Land in Naarm (Melbourne). 

After completing an Honours in Photography degree at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2020, she commenced a PhD at Monash University in 2021 through the Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab, in the faculty of Art Design and Architecture. 

Her arts practice is inextricably intertwined with her identity as a Pitta Pitta woman and aims to subvert and disrupt colonial approaches to image making and photography. Romanis’ research and practice is heavily informed by her family oral histories and photographic archives.

Education:

PhD (Fine Art), Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab, Monash University | 2021 - Present

Honours (Photography), RMIT University | 2020

Bachelor of Arts (Photography), RMIT University | 2017 - 2019

Exhibitions (Solo Shows):

2025

‘(Dis)connected to Country: Mapping Archives Through Arts Practice, PhD exhibition, MADA Gallery, Melbourne. 

2024

‘(Dis)connected to Country’ Hillvale Gallery, as part of PHOTO2024, Melbourne. 

2023

‘(Dis)connected to Country’ curated by Angela Connor, The Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh), Melbourne.

Exhibitions (Select Group Shows): 

2025

‘counter-sites’ curated by Karl Halliday and Madeleine Sherburn, Photo Access, Canberra. 

2023

40th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (Telstra NATSIAA).

‘YARN’ (curator), Craft Victoria, Melbourne. 

2022

‘INTERVALS’ curated by João Marco Deloie, Platform Arts, Geelong.

‘Into the Everywhen’ curated by Eden Fiske and Shahn Stewart, Craft Victoria, Melbourne.

‘Barreeng Yirramboi’ (artist and co-curated with Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab) MADA Gallery, Monash University Melbourne.

‘Aeon Resurrection,’ curated by Jake Treacy, Incinerator Gallery, Moonee Ponds.

‘New Photographers’ PHOTO2022 International Photography Festival, James Makin Gallery, Collingwood. 

‘Still Here, Now’ (artist and co-curated with Tarryn Love and Kelsey Love), Platform Arts, Geelong. 

2020

Ars Electronica International Arts and Technology Festival, Web XR Newcastle Garden, curated by Rewa Wright.

‘Summer Projects VII’ curated by Dylan Foley, Boom Gallery Geelong. 

2019

‘Sightings and Listenings’ graduate exhibition, RMIT University. 

Awards:

2024

Incinerator Gallery Art Award, Art for Social Change: Finalist.

2023

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Telstra NATSIAA): Finalist. 

2019

Baillot and Balfour Endowment: Winner. 

Robyn Beeche Award: Finalist.

Work Experience:

Lecturer, Art Design and Architecture Faculty, Monash University | 2025 - Present

Board Member, West Space | 2024 - Present

Board Member, Melbourne Art Library | 2024 - Present

Artist Committee Member, West Space Gallery | 2023 - 2024

Research Assistant, Monash University, Australian Research Council funded project ‘Protocols for Indigenous-led creative practice’ | 2022 - 2025

Marrawuddi Arts and Culture Volunteer, Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair | 2022

Research Assistant, Monash University, Wominjeka Djeembana Research Lab | 2021 -  2022

Producer, Ngarnga-dha (hearing/listening), Research Symposium, Monash University | 2021

Teaching Associate, Monash University | 2021

Research Assistant, Monash University, ‘Tjanabi’ RISING Festival | 2021

Workshop facilitator, SIGNAL X This Mob X Aretha Brown | 2021

First Nations Emerging Curator, Geelong Gallery | 2021

Writing:

We Are The Archives Of Our Ancestors, The Fever: Part One, Art + Australia. Co-authored with Dr Peta Clancy and Dr Kirsten Lyttle | 2024
https://artandaustralia.com/59_2/p271/we-are-the-archives-of-our-ancestors

Google Earth is an illusion: how I am using art to explore the problematic nature of western maps and the myth of ‘terra nullius,’  The Conversation | 2022. 
https://theconversation.com/google-earth-is-an-illusion-how-i-am-using-art-to-explore-the-problematic-nature-of-western-maps-and-the-myth-of-terra-nullius-187921

Select Artist Talks/Guest Lectures:

2024

‘(Dis)connected to Country’ In-conversation with Dr Peta Clancy, Hillvale Gallery.

‘Future River’ In-conversation with Dr Peta Clancy, Dr Julie Gough, Dr Jodie Haines and Dr Kimba Thompson, Counihan Gallery.

2023

‘The Reciprocity Factor: Photography, Country and Relationality’ In-conversation with Dr Kirsten Lyttle, Dr Peta Clancy and Professor Melissa Miles, MPavillion.

‘UNTOLD’ Darwin, In-conversation with Dr Tony Albert, Warraba Weatherall and Troy Casey, curated by Agency Projects.

‘Art Forum Talks’, Victorian College of the Arts. 

2022

‘Radical Hospitality: Platforming Community’ Panelist with Tarryn Love, Norm Sheehan and Lowell Hunter, Next Wave. 

‘Making the Visible Invisible’ in-conversation with Professor Mark Andrejevic and Mishka Henner,  Form X Content PHOTO2022, - https://www.monash.edu/muma/public-programs/current/current/form-x-content/semester-1/making-the-visible-invisible

Residencies:

2025

Bundanon Artist Residency with Dr Peta Clancy, Dr Kirsten Lyttle and Dr Jessica Neath, Bundanon. (forthcoming)

2024

PARADISE AIR, Matsudo Japan.

2022

Melbourne Art Library, Melbourne. 

Conferences/symposiums:

2024

‘Country Informing Practice Symposium’ Monash Art Design and Architecture Faculty, Monash University.

2022

‘Agency, Country and Place: encounters with photography’ The Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) Conference.

‘Barreeng Yirramboi’, Research Symposium and Exhibition, Monash Art Design and Architecture Faculty, Monash Univeristy. 

‘Conversations with...Extractivism Symposium’, Monash Art Design and Architecture Faculty, Monash University.

2021

‘Ngarnga-dha (hearing/listening)’, Research Symposium, Monash University. 

Funding and scholarships: 

Tarnuk-ut baany Artist Development Program, Footscray Community Arts | 2025

Australian Government Research Training Program Scholar, PhD, Monash University, Melbourne | 2021-2024

Select Press and Media:

2024

ArtsHub Article, written by Christy Tan.
https://www.artshub.com.au/news/features/disconnected-to-country-mapping-the-intersections-of-place-identity-and-family-2699519/

2023

Triple R Radio Interview with Vanessa Morris.
https://www.rrr.org.au/on-demand/segments/banksia-jahkarli-felicitas-romanis-discusses-exhibition-yarn

NITV Radio Interview, Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.
https://www.sbs.com.au/language/nitv-radio/en/podcast-episode/dear-dolly-with-love-2023-reveals-the-bittersweet-power-of-colonial-archives-for-first-nations-people/in3hxg4rg

2022

‘Monash University students impress at PHOTO 2022 New Photographers exhibition’ Monash University. https://www.monash.edu/mada/news/2022/monash-university-students-impress-at-photo-2022-new-photographers-exhibition

‘PHOTO 2022: what it means being human’ RMIT University.
https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2022/may/photo-2022-rmit-alumni

‘New Photographers’ PHOTO2022 International Photography Festival.
https://photo.org.au/channel/qa-jahkarli-romanis

2021

‘New photography from Melbourne and beyond’ Magnum.
https://www.magnumphotos.com/arts-culture/new-photography-melbourne-beyond/





Contact: jucromanis@gmail.com