In The Studio with Ruby Wyatt-Carter

Shepparton is a place that screams arts and creativity.

From their public art commissions, Mooving Art, to their state of the art facility, Shepparton Art Museum (SAM), and their entire month long festival celebrating the regions artistic footprint, Shepparton is a serious player in the arts world.

A major figure of that scene is Ruby Wyatt-Carter. A multi-disciplinary artist, Wyatt-Carter has range when it comes to their showcases. A cardboard orchestra, a collaborator in the Mooving Art mission, and a portrait painter, Wyatt-Carter is a rising force in the region.

In our new series, In The Studio, we take you into space of Victorian creators, unpacking their craft and getting comfortable in their creative zones. Join us as we enter the studio with Ruby Wyatt-Carter.

Keep up to date with all things arts, exhibitions and stage here.

In The Studio with Ruby Wyatt-Carter

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ruby Wyatt-Carter (@ruby.wyc)

Who is Ruby Wyatt-Carter?

I create self portraits using primarily paper collage, on custom-shaped canvases. I also create life-size replicas of musical instruments using cardboard.

How long have you been developing your arts practice?

I’ve been creating art my entire life. I started my particular collage technique 7 years ago, and I’ve been making cardboard instruments since 2023.

How did you discover your passion for this practice?

In 2019, a local art gallery had an open exhibition called “Art: Recycled” that encouraged participants to create art using recycled materials. I created a self portrait by collaging with scrap paper. The artwork sold in that exhibition and I’ve been developing my collage technique ever since, but it was 2023 when I started to create larger artworks on custom shaped canvases and really started to hone in on my style. 

The Cardboard Orchestra has a bit of a backstory! In 2023, I was working on a large project for Shepparton’s Out in the Open festival called the ‘Queer History Museum’. The project was an installation made up of 6 displays representing a different period of time in Australia. Each display included furniture and decor from the time period, and a pull-up banner with info on what it was like for LGBTQIA+ people in the time, such as laws, events, and influential people. The ’50’s’ display was based on Val’s Cafe. A cafe/bar that was known in Melbourne as a safe place to go for outsiders in the 1950’s. The decorations in the bar were described as blue carpet, mauve chairs, raffia lampshades, and a grand piano. I was able to source most of those items for the display from op shops, but the piano was going to be difficult. Then I realised that I should just make one, and the idea for the Cardboard Orchestra grew from there. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ruby Wyatt-Carter (@ruby.wyc)

What have been the biggest milestones in your arts career to date?

The Queer History Museum was huge. I was 22, recovering from a badly broken leg, and I had a big idea and people that supported me. It was so much to coordinate, and on the day of the festival I was unable to help set anything up physically, but I had a massive team of volunteers to help. It was such a rewarding feeling when everything was set up that way I had imagined it, and to see people sitting on the chairs and couches in the displays, reading about the LGBTQIA+ history I had researched. In 2024, I won the Shepparton youth Volunteer of the Year for my effort coordinating the Queer History Museum.

What is your favourite artwork or series that you have created and why? Please describe the work!

My favourite work is one titled “Crooked”. It’s a mixed media self portrait on a normally-shaped canvas 91x121cm. The portrait features me on all-fours with my head down in a desert with mountains. There’s a ‘window’ in my back and in my leg where the viewer can see my spine and my femur. The bones are mostly white but my lower spine and distal femur are red. The mountains are a crooked line that lines up with the way my back is positioned, implying my struggle with scoliosis. There’s 76 spikes across the image as if it’s been raining pieces of metal, these are a reference to the 76 staples I had after I broke my arm and leg. I love this piece because of the little details and references in it. I love the colours and the ‘apocalypse’ vibe of it. 

What has been the biggest challenge you face as an artist and how are you pushing through that barrier?

My biggest barrier is finding the right audience. I live regionally, and even though there are opportunities to exhibit locally, the people in this area just aren’t the right audience for my art. I have a very alternative, confronting style, touching on topics such as feminism, LGBTQIA+ identities, and personal struggles which is a lot better received in cities. Unfortunately that means having to transport my art, which is challenging when the artwork is too big to fit in my car! 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ruby Wyatt-Carter (@ruby.wyc)

Where has your work been, or is your work currently, displayed?

In 2025, I had my artwork in 13 group exhibitions mostly across Victoria, and one in Canberra! In 2026, I’m looking forward to some solo exhibitions including the Shepparton Arts Festival in March, Kyneton in June, and St Kilda in December. 

Tell us about your studio space!

I’ve currently got a pretty small workspace. A work bench, with all my boxes of supplies underneath, and a small shelf to the side with more supplies on it. 

What does a typical day of creating art look like for you both in the studio and out of the studio?

I tend to work on my art little bits at a time. I might just do 20 minutes before going to work in the morning, or as much as an hour on the weekends. It usually takes a few weeks to finish one piece. 

How has being based in regional Victoria elevated your arts practice?

I’ve been able to make a lot of good, on-going connections. Being openly LGBTQIA+ and very active in the community has led to great arts opportunities such as being published in ‘OUT-SIDE: Queer Words and Art from Regional Victoria’ and being asked to paint one of Shepparton’s iconic cows. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ruby Wyatt-Carter (@ruby.wyc)

What does 2026 look like for you as a creator? 

I’m currently finishing up an arts project ‘Portraits of Queer GV’ funded by Midsummer’s Regional Arts Program grant. The project involved 10 art workshops across central Victoria and I’m in the process of booking exhibitions to show off all of the art that was created in the workshops. I’m always looking towards new opportunities. I feel very accomplished with everything I was able to do in 2025, and I’m excited about what I will be able to achieve in 2026.

Find out more about Ruby Wyatt-Carter’s art practice here.