QPAC

Meet Rachael Sarra, the artist responsible for QPAC’s First Nations  artwork.

The concept behind Rachael Sarra’s artwork is recognition, resurgence and celebration of First Nations people, culture and stories throughout all of Queensland. 

Rachael has created a toolkit made up of individual and diverse elements to communicate the narrative of QPAC First Nations people. Inspired by the past and what was once on the land on which we create and perform our stories now. We are coming together, with First Nations voices at the centre to help re-surge culture, storytelling and performance on a platform that we can all share.

“Our First Nations people are diverse, just like our landscapes. We have always been here and we will continue to rise from our lands and show resilience while we walk in two worlds.” Rachael Sarra

Rachael Sarra is an artist and designer whose work is an extension of her being and experiences. As a contemporary Aboriginal artist from Goreng Goreng Country, Rachael uses art as a powerful tool in storytelling to educate and share Aboriginal culture and its evolution. Rachael's work often challenges and explores the themes of societies perception of what Aboriginal art and identity is.

Her style is feminine, fun and engaging but is strongly drawn from her heritage and her role as an Aboriginal woman in a modern world. Rachael is fuelled by passion to continue exploring her Aboriginality through art and design, with each piece strengthening her identity.

Rachael graduated with a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design from the Queensland College of Art in Brisbane.

Recently, Rachael’s work ‘Two Worlds’ was projected onto the William Jolly Bridge; she is an artist of this year’s Brisbane Street Art festival. Rachael was also the lead artist for the Suncorp Super Netball, Queensland Firebirds Indigenous dress, a collaborating artist with Life Apparel Co, and Brisbane based jewellery designer, Concrete Jellyfish Co.

As a commercial artist, Rachael has had the pleasure of working with clients such as Australia Post to design the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum postage/collectable stamp. As well the Ignite the Wonder artwork for Kmart Australia that frames the entry of over 13 stores (and counting) as a symbol of a culturally safe environment.

Rachael was part of the free Unearthed tunnel exhibition at QPAC that ran until Sunday, 3 November 2019. Five Aboriginal artists created distinct durational pieces of work that depicted each individual’s cultural connection to their country.