Artist & Director of mili mili

b.1981, Subiaco, Noongar Country, WA

Yamaji Wajarri, Dutch & English
nicolemonks.com

Monks is a multi-disciplinary creative of Yamaji Wajarri,Dutch and English heritage living and working on Awabakal Country (Newcastle).

Monks’s practice is informed by her cross-cultural identity, using storytelling as a way to connect the past with the present and future. Her works take a conceptual approach that are embedded with narratives that aim to promote conversation and connection. 

An award-winning designer and artist, Monks crosses disciplines to work with furniture and objects, textiles, video, installation and performance. Across these varied forms of contemporary art and design, her work reflects Aboriginal philosophies of sustainability, innovation and collaboration. Monks is well known for her success as a solo and collaborative artist and founder of design practice blackandwhite creative as well as public art company mili mili. 

Monks is currently the Design Institute of Australia, Continuing Custodian Advisor and, on the Hunter Creative Alliance. Monks was the winner of UNSW Art & Design Indigenous Professional Development Award, ArtsNSW Aboriginal Design Grant, Vivid Design competition (furniture) Good Design Award, indigenous Award, Design Institute of Australia Award- Place. Monks works are collected nationally including the Powerhouse, Museum of Applied Arts and Science (MAAS) and National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of WA and Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie.

Photo Credit: Joseph Mayers

Jason Wing is a Sydney based artist who strongly identifies with his Chinese and Aboriginal heritage. Wing has completed many large budget permanent public artworks around Sydney. He is adept at managing a team and is committed to complying with his contractual obligations. Wing began as a street artist and has since expanded his practise to incorporate public art, photo media, installation and painting. Influenced by his bi-cultural upbringing,

Jason explores the ongoing challenges that impact his wider community. Calling into question our understanding of history and of our current socio-political reality, Wing repurposes everyday objects and imagery, creating works that are both visually confronting and deceptively simple.

Jason’s Public Artworks can be seen all over Australia; from the streets of Goulburn and Sydney’s Chinatown to open spaces of private developments including “Wangal Wall” at Rhodes Central.

Photo Credit:

Maddison Gibbs is a proud Gunu Baakandji woman who grew up in Dubbo, NSW. She currently lives and works between Sydney and Kandos, NSW. Both artist and activist, Maddison Gibbs’ practice examines dual histories – focusing on stories of past and present Aboriginal societies and spirit. A multidisciplinary artist, Gibbs works across a wide spectrum of cultural praxis, utilising many methods and ideologies to create a wide variety of works from paintings, murals and Public Artworks for private developers, council and large infrastructure works.

A current thematic of Gibbs’ work focuses on the intergenerational stories of contemporary Aboriginal affairs – with a focus on telling women’s narratives through an environmental lense and caring for Country focusing on sustainable practise and first nations futures.

Maddie works as both a solo artist, with collaborations and as part of larger project teams. Recent projects include collaborations with Nicole Monks for Yeo Park, Ashfield as well as Jason Wing for the Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway Redevelopment (Sydney Metro and ASPECT), Canturbury Station Upgrade artwork, Stanmore Station upgrade artwork and Concord Oval Redevelopment public artwork.

Maddison is the proud recipiant of 2023 NSW Visual Artist (Emerging) Fellowship with CreateNSW curated by Artspace.

Photo Credit: Joseph Mayers

Born in 1961 – Waratah NSW

 Leanne Tobin is a multidisciplinary artist of Irish, English and Aboriginal heritage descending from the Buruburong and Wumali clans of the Dharug, the traditional Aboriginal people of the Greater Sydney region.

 Residing on the land of her Ancestors, Leanne working both independently and collaboratively to tell stories of ‘place’, stories that are often hidden beneath the concrete and the tar of city life.

Leanne’s work encourages open and honest dialogue about the past while inspiring an environmental conscience in others. Her work encourages respect towards Ngurra (Country)and pay homage to its original custodians.

Photo credit: Nikki To

Born Adam Douglas Hill at Bungarrabee ‘Blacktown’, NSW (1970) to an Aboriginal Father & Australian Mother.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Design) from University of Western Sydney Nepean 1994, later becoming self-practiced in painting. His graphic style is generally commentating of politics and social justice.

Blak Douglas won the Mil-Pra Award 2003, Kilgour Prize 2019, the STILL Award 2020 and the Archibald Prize 2022. Blak has exhibited extensively including at the 3rd National Indigenous Triennial at National Gallery of Australia, TARNANTHI festival in Adelaide, AAMU in Netherlands.

Blak Douglas is also a classically trained Yidaki (Didgeridoo) player. Performing extensively at festivals and opening ceremonies the likes of Festival of the Dreaming (Bangarra), Australian Idol final, the Sydney welcome for Madiba ‘Nelson Mandela’

Photo credit: Ben Pearse