We are proud to work with incredibly talented artists from across Australia.
Hailing from the Kimberley, the Tiwi Islands, coastal Arnhem Land, the Daly River region, the Central Desert and Narrm (Melbourne), the artists in our collections represent the diversity
and uniqueness of First Nations contemporary art practice.
Photo: Marnin Studio / Design Within Country.
AMANDA SMITH
A Gooniyandi speaker and proud member of the Bayulu Community, Amanda is committed to supporting young girls in her community to build their confidence and teach them the skills she’s learned through her work. Amanda’s design for our Fitzroy Crossing Collection is called Spinifex.
LEARN MORE ABOUT AMANDA HERE.
Photo: Lara Damiani / Artists of Ampilatwatja.
COLLEEN NGWARRAYE MORTON
Colleen Ngwarraye Morton was born in 1957 into the Ngwarraye skin group. She paints Arreth, which translates to ‘strong bush medicine’, paying homage to the significance of traditional bush medicine. Morton often depicts her grandfather’s country, where she her mother and grandmother taught her the importance of seasonal medicines and plants. Colleen’s design for our Ampilatwatja Collection is called Singing Bush Medicine.
LEARN MORE ABOUT COLLEEN HERE.
Photo: Artists of Ampilatwatja.
JEAN NGWARRAYE LONG
Jean Ngwarraye Long was born in 1963 and has lived in Ampilatwatja all her life. She was part of the original Utopian batik movement in the 1980s. She has exhibited in many group exhibitions, including at ArtKelch, Germany in 2015, Flinders Lane Galley, Melbourne (2018) and Suzanne O’Connell Gallery, Brisbane (2018). In 2018 she was also a finalist in the 40th Alice Art Prize (The Alice Springs Art Foundation). Jean’s design for our Ampilatwatja Collection is called Native Seeds.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JEAN HERE.
Photo: Marnin Studio / Design Within Country.
LEE-ANNE WILLIAMS
Lee-Anne Williams, of the Bunuba and Wangkatjunka language groups, began her career painting boab nuts, moving onto screen and lino printing on textiles before becoming a founding member of the 2017 Design Within Country fashion project. Lee-Anne aspires to running her own fashion business in order to support her community. Lee-Anne’s design for our Fitzroy Crossing Collection is called Water Levels.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LEE-ANNE HERE.
Photo: Artists of Ampilatwatja.
ROSIE NGWARRAYE ROSS
Rosie Ngwarraye Ross (1951-2023) was born near Amaroo Station, NT. Her skin group was Ngwarraye. In her paintings Ross depicted the bush medicine plants and wild flowers from around her country.
She had a bold expressive style and often omitted the sky from her compositions, combining both aerial and frontal views. Rosie’s design for our Ampilatwatja Collection is called Sugarbag Dreaming.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ROSIE HERE.
Photo: Durrmu Arts.
ANNUNCIATA NUNUK WILSON
Annunciata Nunuk Wilson, a Ngan’gikurunggurr woman born c.1970, is the eldest daughter of the esteemed artist Regina Pilawuk Wilson. Annunciata paints durrmu (dot body painting) designs in the traditional colours of weaving dyes: deep purples, ochres, black and red. Nunuk’s design for our Durrmu Collection is called Syaw (Fish Net).
LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNUNCIATA HERE.
Image: Elizabeth’s design for the Bábbarra Collection, Mud Ripples.
ELIZABETH KANDABUMA
Elizabeth Kandabuma (deceased) was born near Bulgay on Yirritjinga country. She depicted the natural world in a distinctive, lyrical and painterly style. Kandabuma worked with Bábbarra Designs, an art centre in Maningrida, since the early 1990s, and exhibited across Australia, including at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, the Australian National University, Canberra and in multiple Darwin Aboriginal Art Fairs. Elizabeth’s design for our Bábbarra Collection is called Mud Ripples.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ELIZABETH HERE.
Photo: Durrmu Arts.
KATHLEEN KORDA
Kathleen Korda was born and educated at the Daly River Mission. In the 1960s, when she was a teenager, she moved out to Peppimenarti, where her mother and grandmother taught her to weave baskets, string bags and fish nets. Kathleen lives at Peppimenarti with her five daughters and twelve grandchildren. Kathleen is establishing herself as a leading weaver at Durrmu Arts, receiving a Highly Commended award in the Togart Art Awards in 2013. Kathleen’s design for our Durrmu Collection is called Durrmu (KK).
LEARN MORE ABOUT KATHLEEN HERE.
Photo: Peter Tarasuik.
LISA WAUP
Lisa Waup is a mixed-cultural First Nations artist and curator born in Naarm (Melbourne), with Gunditjmara, Torres Strait Islander and Italian heritage. Waup’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses diverse media including weaving, experimental printmaking, photography, sculpture, fashion, and digital art. With a deep connection to the symbolic power of materials, her work reflects her personal experiences, family history, Country, and broader historical narratives.
Lisa’s designs for our Lisa Waup Collection are Defragmentation, Oneness, and Renewed.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LISA HERE.
Photo: Marnin Studio.
APRIL JONES
April Jones spent many years teaching in Port Hedland, Broome and Fitzroy Crossing before arriving at the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre, wanting to learn how to sew. Seven years later she began working with Marnin Studio, creating block and screen prints of local bush tucker, flora and fauna. April has two designs in our Fitzroy Crossing Collection, River Stones and Rainbows.
LEARN MORE ABOUT APRIL HERE.
Photo: Tiwi Design.
JEAN BAPTISTE APUATIMI
Jean Baptiste Apuatimi (1940-2013) is internationally acclaimed as a painter, carver and printmaker. She was born at Pirlangimpi, Melville Island, NT, into the Japijapunga (March Fly) skin group. In 1991 she participated in her first exhibition; the next year the National Gallery of Victoria acquired eight of her bark paintings. Apuatimi's design for our Tiwi Collection is called Jilamara.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JEAN HERE.
Photo: Durrmu Arts.
LEANNE BLACK
Leanne is an emerging artist from Peppimenarti, working mainly in screen printing. Like many artists from this region, she references durrmu (dot body painting) designs in her work. Leanne’s design for our Durrmu Collection is called Durrmu (LB).
LEARN MORE ABOUT LEANNE HERE.
Photo: Tiwi Design.
OSMOND KANTILLA
Osmond Kantilla (b.1966) is a master screen printer. His country is Wurruranku and his skin group is Marntimapila (Stone). Kantilla has been selected for group exhibitions across Australia and internationally. His work is held in numerous public collections, including the National Museum of Australia, the Powerhouse Museum and the Art Gallery of South Australia. Kantilla's design for our Tiwi Collection is called Pandanus.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OSMOND HERE.
Photo: Bábbarra Designs.
SUSAN MARAWARR
Susan Marawarr was born in 1967 and is a Kuninjku speaker. She is an accomplished printmaker, sculptor, weaver and bark painter, known for her striking black and white palette. Marawarr is the sister of acclaimed bark painters James Iyuna and John Mawurndjul.
Susan’s design for our Bábbarra Collection is called Wak Wak.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SUSAN HERE.