Creative People

Some of the best and most important artwork in the country is being produced at art centres in Indigenous communities. Predominantly located in remote and semi-remote communities across Northern Territory, Northern Queensland, far north South Australia and Western Australia, art centres are hubs where artists young and old work alongside each other, sharing stories and transferring vital cultural knowledge. They are spaces for meeting, conversation, education, employment, economy and celebration!

We are so lucky to have this knowledge of Country and culture preserved by First Nations artists, and supporting art centres is a great way to respect this. But if you’re not sure what to look for, it can be a little overwhelming to know where to start.

For this article, we spoke to 15 different art centres and artists to learn more about their diverse practices, as well as representatives from the upcoming Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) and the Indigenous Art Code (IartC), who share their knowledge on things to consider to ensure an ethical transaction.

Buckle up – this is a long one, but for good reason!

The terrazzo love is strong across Australia’s design scene (we would know!), but there’s something extra special about uncovering a legacy story around its local craftsmanship. Penny Bovell and Gabrielle Howlett (an artist and project manager respectively) are a mother and daughter duo from Perth whose fascination with terrazzo artisan Giuseppe Scolaro has been a decades-long pursuit.

As part of Fremantle’s winter festival, 10 Nights in Port, the pair collate their years of research into Giuseppe’s work into an exhibition, talk and workshop series. Underneath/Overlooked – Bonded & Resilient displays documentation of the 110 sites Gabrielle and Penny unearthed over years of social media crowdsourcing and public campaigning. It features documentation of the families that live in houses with bespoke, handmade Scolaro floors, plus an installation of the original Scolaro cottage, adorned with digitally printed tile patterns.

The passion in this project is so real!

There’s no two ways about it: Cassie Byrnes is a dead-set legend. Remember when we chatted to her for our podcast and told us about the lowest point in her life – that time she only had $10 in her back account after self-funding her first collection, and then her card got declined at McDonald’s drive through? Hysterical. Of course, that was before she became a textile megastar who partnered with Nike to dress Nick Kyrgios and Serena Williams for the 2020 Australian Open, and designed an apparel collection for Uniqlo (out this September!).

Cassie manages her time juggling her textile business Variety Hour, with her 18 month old daughter Lottie by forcing herself to be organised, taking on freelance work in her spare time, and staying up for a night shift where she can truly channel all her creativity. Her schedule is jam-packed and chaotic, but it’s worth it to be able to be able to do what she loves every single day. Go Cassie!

Without a doubt, Mia Boe is one of the most exciting emerging artists we’ve come across in recent times. 

Spurred by historical inquiry, and the history of dispossession on both sides of her family heritage, the Butchulla-Burmese artist paints with a passionate sense of purpose. She depicts electric Australian scenery, interpolated with languid, dragging figures who are often imprisoned, or kept company by animals, food or spirits. She tackles enormous political issues, historical contexts and violent themes with colour and energy, creating worlds that are vibrant, emotive, bold and sometimes even playful. 

Mia paints to reclaim the stories of the past, and in doing so, forges her own. Remember her name – she’s going to be big!

From the studio in her mudbrick home in Ringwood, textile designer, painter and illustrator Georgie Daphne paints colourful botanical worlds. Her brilliantly verdant houseplants cascade from terracotta pots and adorn vibrant table settings – creating whimsical, eye-catching arrangements.

Named ‘Plant Gang’, the artist’s new collection depicts joyful, homely moments in lilac, blue, musky pink, green and orange as limited-edition prints, which are on sale now. So cute!

If there’s such thing as a ‘rockstar’ ceramicist, Kelly Murphy of Benna co is it! Over the last four years, her vibrant, painterly works have developed a bit of a cult following. Inspired by the chunky, wonky outcomes of student ceramic work, Kelly has used this naivety as inspiration, and refined it to perfection.

Originally trained in painting at the VCA, Kelly brings an artist’s aesthetic to the functional wares that she fondly refers to as ‘party plates’– if they’re going to be used every day, why not have a bit of fun with them?!

When Josh Jessup and Matt Moss moved from Sydney to Melbourne in February of this year, they had 30 followers on TikTok. Now, just a few months later, the couple have a following more than 117,000 people strong and have amassed over 4.6 million likes… and counting!

But social media is just one facet of their exuberant creative output. From their vibrant apartment in Melbourne’s CBD, the pair run Matt and Josh Design – the homewares label under which they sell their distinctive handmade art pieces. From geometric candles that reveal a technicolour lava once they’ve melted, to modular ceiling mobiles, their pieces are whimsical, fun and totally original. Just like their home!

The first time artist Julian Meagher painted former Socceroo, renowned commentator and activist Craig…

Before he worked there, Ty Symonds was OB-SESSED with Country Road. So openly obsessed in fact, four people sent him the job ad for head of homewares design at the iconic retailer when it came up. The world knew he was destined for this job, and he got it!

This gig is the culmination of a long and dedicated career in Australian design: from freelancing at Peter Alexander fresh out of uni to designing costumes for Beyonce’s On The Run II world tour on 48 hours notice (!) while working for Brisbane retailer BlackMilk.

Now heading up his own team of six at Country Road, his fantasy job is just as good as he imagined.

A couple of years ago, Kirsten Roberts was on a career trajectory most people dream of. She had a successful international women’s mentoring business alongside CEO stints, management consultancy roles and even stand-up comedy gigs, until she suffered a life-changing neurological episode in 2019.

Forced to stop for the first time in her life, Kirsten turned to art to heal herself. What emerged was a revelation for the born-again creative: a powerful painting practice that grapples with the strength of women and the artistic spirit. Now she uses her art as a way to spread a fierce political message of self-worth to other women. It’s a truly inspiring story.