The Torch is proud to present Confined 17 at Glen Eita City Council Gallery. Confined 17 is the seventeenth annual exhibition showcasing the work of 424 First Peoples artists with lived experience of incarceration in Victoria.
The exhibition centres the artists’ voices through a large-scale video presentation showcasing interviews captured on Country and within the artist’s homes. Each interview shares the personal and creative journeys of artists, told in their own words.
An immersive collection of 497 artworks extend throughout the gallery addressing themes of kinship, healing, ancestral stories and life journeys. An expansive collective of paintings are displayed alongside traditional and contemporary pieces ranging from weavings and carved emu eggs to ceramics, a handmade woollen rug and a painted guitar. The exhibition showcases the breadth of artistic practice within The Torch’s program.
Confined 17 celebrates the growing participation of women artists in The Torch’s program through a dedicated gallery space highlighting their powerful artworks and stories. Over the past year, women artists have gathered for a regular Tiddas Group at The Torch, connecting, supporting each other and creating new works together.
Since 2009, Confined has provided a dedicated space for First Peoples to share their stories, culture and lived experiences through art. The exhibition series serves as a poignant reflection on the extremely disproportionate representation of First Nations Australians in the criminal legal system, underscoring the urgent need for change.
Presented as a major component of The Torch’s program, Confined 17 continues our commitment to improve the cultural, social, emotional, and financial wellbeing of First Peoples participants, empowering new pathways beyond the criminal legal system.
Dive deeper into the exhibition with programs led by artists and The Torch, ranging from Weaving Workshops, Live Music, a Floor Talk and a Screening Q&A as well as our weekly Live Art sessions and Exhibition Tours.
All artworks are available to purchase from Friday 1 May and 100% of the artwork price goes directly to the artist.
For more information about The Torch, see: The Torch Gallery
Image: Opening event, Confined 16 2025, presented by The Torch at Glen Eira City Council Gallery. Photograph: Tiffany Garvie.
Glen Eira City Council Gallery
Corner Glen Eira and Hawthorn Roads
Caulfield VIC 3162
T: (03) 9524 3333
W: Visit website
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 10am–5pm
Saturdays & Sundays: 1pm–5pm
Closed public holidays
Entry is Free
The Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV) acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the lands where our office is located, and all Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and Australia. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enduring traditions and continuing creative cultures. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
We are an LGBTQIA+ friendly organisation that celebrates diversity. We are committed to providing safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive services for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
