https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Pt-EnbsZM

NRMA Insurance First Nations Billboards

A commission in collaboration with NRMA Insurance and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.
JSKooriDesigns_Portfolio_Website
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Pt-EnbsZM

NRMA Insurance First Nations Billboards

A commission in collaboration with NRMA Insurance and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.

JSKooriDesigns_Portfolio_Website
Title

NRMA Billboards

Year

2022

Client
NRMA Insurance
Location
Heathcote, NSW & Tamworth NSW

IAG’s NRMA Insurance business has partnered with Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative to create nine billboard artworks on the major highways around New South Wales to help increase awareness about the traditional lands of First Nations people.

Title

NRMA Billboards

Year

2022

Client
Assetlink and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative
Location
Heathcote, NSW & Tamworth NSW

IAG’s NRMA Insurance business has partnered with Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative to create nine billboard artworks on the major highways around New South Wales to help increase awareness about the traditional lands of First Nations people.

“ Each artwork is displayed in the community that the artist who created it is connected to. Having my artwork ‘Country and Coast’ on display during an exhibition at Boomalli provided the exposure that landed my artwork on a billboard southbound on the Princes Hwy at Heathcote NSW (Dharawal Country). ”

“ Each artwork is displayed in the community that the artist who created it is connected to. Having my artwork ‘Country and Coast’ on display during an exhibition at Boomalli provided the exposure that landed my artwork on a billboard southbound on the Princes Hwy at Heathcote NSW (Dharawal Country). ”

The artwork was a graphic design print I had created in 2018 to reflect my family’s transient history from Coonabarabran to the Far South Coast.

The artwork on display at the time was a framed A3 size work and it was now being licenced by NRMA to go on a billboard. This was such a career highlight. To add to this, I also secured another billboard just north of Tamworth NSW on the New England Hwy (Kamilaroi Country). The artwork ‘Family 1’ was a graphic design print with an acrylic paint detail on top and was also on display at Boomalli.

The NRMA ‘First Nations’ campaign was so successful that the billboard was licenced for 12months and was announced by the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) as the uncontested Creative Collection Grand Prix winner for 2019. I was also fortunate enough to have a third artwork ‘Make your own path’ licenced to replace the Country and Coast artwork at Heathcote for another 12months.

JSKooriDesigns_FirstNationAustralianDesign
JSKooriDesigns_FirstNationAustralianDesign
JSKooriDesigns_FirstNationAustralianDesign
JSKooriDesigns_FirstNationAustralianDesign

Country and Coast

The artwork on this sign represents the connection from country to coast. It has many layers that symbolise the changes in our history.

What lies underneath our towns, cities, roads and railways has always been Dharawal country and has been cared for over millennia by many clans. The artwork also reflects on the healing and growth of language and culture (illustrated by the leaves) and the orange sections tell of times of drought but also fracture in acknowledgement of First Nations people across this country.

Family One

A graphic design print with hand painted detailing represented my two creative art mediums.

I wanted the artwork to tell the story of how our families change when an elder passes, or more grandchildren and great children are born, how we grow apart, and how we come together and begin new families. I also wanted to show the disconnect we can experience and feel by fading some of the elements.

Make Your Own Path

This was a painting that was submitted for an exhibition at Boomalli during Mardi Gras 2021.

This artwork was a self-expression of acknowledging where you come from but being brave to make your own path and walk with the strength of those who have walked with you in the past. I wanted to also represent by identity as a First Nations queer artist and the acknowledge the difficulties in finding your identity, both within yourself, and within the wider community.