State of Jaala

Featured articles- Embracing Wonder and Enter the Artist’s Realm

Publication- Watch and Wear segments of the Welum trilogy.

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Cooperation Manager & founder of Welum: Brit Kongstad

Editor-In-Cheif, Magazine and Books: Jill L. Ferguson

Copyeditor: Zoe Brandt

Art Director: Bo Sorensen

Creative Director: Sarah Bogh

Director of Business Operations: Gabriele Sportoletti

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Editor & PR, Magazine and Books: Birralee Paitson

Into the Artist’s Realm

With Jewels Stevens

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Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2016

Images- Ivana Oksenyuk

With Australian Artist – Jewels Stevens

Throughout human existence, a myriad of people have delved into the rich and enigmatic depths that form the creative medium that is visual art. The vast fluidity and boundless possibilities within this medium welcomes those with the intrinsic wonder to search deeper. Through music, meditation, dance and ceremony, Australian artist – Jewels Stevens – channels the inner depths to create visually luxurious and intoxicating paintings.

Jewels’ love affair with oil paint began when she was twelve years old, after discovering a book in the school library on the Australian surrealist painter, James Gleeson. “His art was my first real inspiration to use oil paint. Besides that, it was most likely the finger painting I did in pre-school that really started my affinity with the viscous nature of this delicious medium.” Now thirty-six years old, her creative practice continues to evolve.

Through her paintings, Jewels creates a visual discourse that speaks of her exploration in this world, both internally and externally. Her artworks blend intensely rich and vibrant colour with an atmospheric composition that expresses each piece’s unique emotion. “Each painting taps into a different story, song, place or mindscape. Quite often it’s the story of what’s been happening in my life, it unconsciously seems to sneak in via this abstract language.”

Jewels’ approach to her artistic process is both structured and spontaneous. “sometimes I attack the canvas allowing a spontaneous, energetic flow to emerge and other times I work from drawings or images I’ve found for inspiration. I’m highly driven by colour.” She allows her intuition to lead her, which opens a channel for the creative energy to flow.

After completing a visual arts degree, Jewels studied graphic and fashion design and worked as a graphic designer for a year before deciding to go back to painting. “I wanted more creative freedom and the beautiful immediacy of playing with paint, so I decided to go back to my roots and give a painting career a good crack.”

Taking a break between her career change, Jewels decided to travel the world for inspiration. “All I did on my travels was visit gallery after gallery. The Louver, The Tate, Pompidou, MOMA… and it was

the paintings that really spoke to me. I felt a primal urge that this is what I needed to be doing.”

Jewels has been actively dedicated to her craft and has been exhibiting her work in Australia and Internationally for the past decade. She is currently represented by Jacob Hoerner Galleries in Melbourne, who have shown her work for the past eight years. Her paintings were exhibited at the Singapore Art Fair last year with Jacob Hoerner Galleries, and her stunning artworks have been shown in Iceland and the USA, where she has had studio residencies.

After residing in Melbourne for fifteen years, Jewels made the transition to Northern New South Wales earlier this year, in search of a more sustainable way of life. “I try to live consciously and sustainably on this planet. My move out of the city was a way to live in alignment with my beliefs- which include being sustainably conscious.”

Living in the sub-tropical rainforest without any phone reception has given the artist the space for her creative essence to flow and manifest. Jewels is inspired and nourished by the visual beauty of where she lives and strives to apply sustainable practices to all areas of her painting process. “I try to be conscious about the paints that I use- where the pigments come from, what they are made of and their impact on the environment and whether it is a sustainable material.”  She makes much of her own paint and only uses canvases that are constructed from sustainable plantation timber.

Vibrant colour and organic formations within nature stimulate Jewels’ motivation for painting, and through these phenomena’s, the artist translates her visions of this world. “I want to express the poetry of the world, the abstraction of it’s sublime creations- like music and dance and other realms of consciousness.”

With her love for bight colours, especially neon pink, the artist’s eclectic personal style and radical self-expression, exuberates her deep passion for creativity. “I think my style just naturally becomes an extension of my art. People often tell me that I look like I’ve just stepped out of one of my paintings.”

Always striving to broaden her knowledge and develop her artistic skills, Jewels is currently undertaking a course to learn the painting techniques of the great masters of ancient Japan, such as egg tempera- a painting medium that consists of coloured pigments mixed with egg yolk. “Hopefully with these new levels of skills I’ll bring more dimension and light awareness into my work. I want to create bigger, bolder and brighter paintings.”

For Jewels, painting is a way of life and her love for the craft drives her to further succeed in her chosen career path. In a society where making a living from art is a challenging profession, Jewels continues to expand her creative dimensions. “It’s hard in this society to trust that you can make a living from art, but I think with the right amount of passion and faith in oneself, anyone can do it.”

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2017

Images- Tajette O’Halloran

Tajette O’Halloran is a Melbourne based Photographic Artist whose work has gained critical acclaim within Australia and on the international platform. With an impressive repertoire, ranging from commissioned music portraiture to featured editorials and conceptual bodies of work, the 36 year old’s photographic style is unpolished and raw with an element of dark vastness and captivating ambiguity. With images featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, ELLE and Beat Magazine, to name a few, O’Halloran’s unique style and professional portfolio continues to evolve. 

O’Halloran attended film school and worked as a location scout, and during this time was inspired by the endless possibilities within the photographic medium. “I’ve always been interested in photography as a medium, but for a long time I did’nt realise photography was something I could actively pursue. Studying film, working as a location scout and seeing friends pursuing photography in such unique ways, made me realise there are so many avenues and opportunities within photography that were open to me.”

Drawing inspiration from films, O’Halloran will often pause movies and take screenshots to see how certain frames will look as photographs. “Films play a big role in sparking ideas for me, and seeing how other photographers work is always a great reminder for me that I can do anything I want to and helps me to push past boundaries I unknowingly set for myself.”

O’Halloran’s creative process takes on multiple facets and the conceptual depth within her photography often changes and evolves. “Sometimes I end up with a result that was completely unintentional and it can take on it’s own meaning, although mostly I start with a concept and the final work will remain loosely in the framework of the original idea.”

O’Halloran has photographed musicians throughout Europe and the US, was selected as finalist in the Doug Moran Portrait Prize, her image “Her Against the World” won the Monster Children Photo Award in 2012, and her image “Idle Ours” was chosen as an honourable mention in the Bowness Photography prize in 2016. “It was a big moment for me, this particular image was from my series ‘Christmas Time; Australia’ and this work feels very personal and different to anything I had done before, so that recognition was a good feeling.”

‘Christmas Time; Australia’ is a body of work that resonates personally for O’Halloran, and the images hold great significance and nostalgia. The artist plans to expand the concept and further explore the suburban Australian psyche, with an extension of the series that she will begin shooting in the coming months. O’Halloran also plans to produce and exhibit a photo book of the work in 2018.

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2018

Australian Visual Artist- Kat Bak

Artistic expression runs deep in the marrow of her bones, her hips speak a language of fluid lines born from charcoal and ink, etched into the blank vastness of fibrous pulp. She is 34 year-old Australian Artist, Kat Bak – and with pencil in hand – her visual art is creating a language of its own.

Bak’s artworks are a dreamlike feast of tasty simplicity and minimalist lines. With a focus on abstract elements of the human body, in particular, the female form – her thought provoking drawings embody raw feminine beauty and abstract eroticism in its purest state of being. Through paper, pens and charcoal, the Melbourne born artist encapsulates her life journey as she navigates her way through womanhood.

 “In today’s society we can be so focused on appearances and when we strip back we are all essentially made up of the same thing. I like to look beyond what we see, and draw the things we may not focus on. Beautiful shapes and lines, all the things that form our complex bodies.” Says Bak.

Bak’s drawings speak of self-discovery through her own life experiences and the growth not only of herself as a woman, but the collective evolution of womankind.  

 “It has been really beautiful and at times wonderfully overwhelming connecting with other women through my art and I find it fascinating how we collectively experience similarities as we grow.”

From a young age, Bak loved drawing, and with a grandmother who was a painter herself, art was in her blood from birth. Her home life nurtured her artistic pull and allowed her to thrive.

 “My Nonna always encouraged me to paint and draw, constantly saying ‘My Katerina, you are going to be a great artist.’ I remember always being deeply involved in her art history books as a child.”

Bak’s highschool art teacher had a strong belief in the young artist’s talents and allowed her the time and space to be creatively free. “I believe this encouragement and belief in me paved the way to my love of art and art history.”

Having studied in the fields of Visual Art, Graphic Design and Clothing and Textile Production, Bak’s next academic venture is to study Arts History in Europe.

 “I personally love learning but I do not think it is essential to define how good you are at something. There is something really beautiful about teaching yourself what you are drawn to. My work naturally comes from a raw honest place. I have found that I have had to un-learn a lot in my art to get back to this place.”

Bak has spent years developing her works and learning to have acceptance in her style and creative process – learning to embrace all elements of her creativity. Her morning ritual usually involves a small meditation, coffee and drawing in bed.

 “I wake up next to books and paper and pens sprawled out amongst my sheets as though they were a lover I share my bed with.”

Drawing things that ignite inspiration, Bak chooses certain shapes and lines that excite her. Sometimes nailing it the first go while other times drawing the same thing over and over with a slight point of difference.

 “I really enjoy this journey as I can end up somewhere totally different and abstract to where I began. My concepts develop in response to something I feel or witness, I have learnt instead of reacting physically to certain things. I now invest that energy into my art, as though there is an undercurrent that I have to investigate and present the answers within my art.”

The artist describes her own personal style as ‘creative, colourful chaos’ and favours to wear the colour green for cool and calm, and red for strength and power.

In the coastal town of Byron Bay, where she now resides, Bak has started an initiative at The Byron Bay Service Denim Store called ‘Side Seam’ – a curated space that gives local, established and up-and-coming artists a platform to exhibit their works and gain exposure. Bak also runs a weekly life drawing session called ‘Drop in Life Drawing’ which features live music and allows artists to do just that, ‘drop in’ to themselves and their creativity.

With solo and group exhibitions in the works for later in the year, Bak continues her dance with artistic mediums. Her daily mantra being to “draw, listen to good tunes, be inspired, be present, be grateful and boogie.”

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2018

Artist- Zoe Porter

Zoe is an interdisciplinary artist exploring primarily a drawing practice, which also extends into painting, installation, performance, sculpture, site-specific works and video. Zoe has a Doctorate of Visual Art (QCA, 2014) and exhibits regularly in Australia and overseas.

Her work frequently depicts the animal-human hybrid in an attempt at crossing the boundaries between the animal and the human, real and imaginary states, chaos and order. Much of her work explores a female experience through a personal mythology often presenting the human form undergoing transformation or alteration, suggestive of the possibilities for other ways of being or existing. Her performance-based works are often collaborative and merge art, theatre, sound and physical performance highlighting the artistic and creative processes involved in producing artworks.

Her performance-based and site-specific works have taken place in both gallery and festival contexts including the Prinzessinenstrasse Garten (Berlin), Brisbane Street Arts Festival, Yonder, Jungle Love Festival, BARI festival, Woodford Folk Festival, The Judith Wright Centre, Current Rising and the Brisbane Fringe Festival. Zoe has undertaken a number of international residencies including Burgundy, France (2006), Geidai University, Tokyo (2010) and Crane Arts, Philadelphia (US) (2012). She has exhibited in a number of group exhibitions and most recently held solo exhibitions in Brisbane at Onespace Gallery (2018) Melbourne (2016) and the Brisbane Powerhouse (2016), as well as receiving funding through Townsville City Council (2017) and the Australia Council for the Arts (2014).

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2018

Images- Nuro Oliver

Exploring Artistic Mediums with Nuro Oliver

Different forms of visual art have been used in various ways, throughout many cultures, as a medium for interpersonal healing and growth and connecting to a greater ‘source'. The therapeutic potential within artistic expression is monumental for people throughout the world.

Nuro Oliver is a 41-year-old Australian visual artist who has been expanding her creative skills since she was a young child. Oliver’s artwork explores the intrinsic nature between self, the natural world, and the universe around us. The intricacies of interpersonal, intergalactic, or energetic connections are expressed within her artwork. Oliver has been using her creative outlet as a healing tool to connect to her deeper self and her fellow kin.

“My art explores the concept of other dimensions and how we as humans can experience them. My aspiration is that my art can help people to resonate with something outside themselves but also of themselves... a universal connection to energy, life, and healing through being present to the moment,” she said.

Oliver was born into a highly artistic and musical family, who chose a non-conventional life that was in line with their ideals for a sustainable future. Growing up in Northern New South Wales provided the colourful lifestyle that facilitated Oliver’s passion for art. Both her parents being musicians meant that creative arts – whether in the visual or musical form – were central to their values and way of life.

“As a child I was very creative, I come from a very musically artistic family, and making art was a way of belonging and rebelling at the same time. From living in a tent in the bush and walking to school every day, I have a connection to the land that definitely underpins my work. My hippie parents taught me that nature is god, which confused my child mind at the time but I think it allowed me to see the connectedness of life,” she said.

The conceptual artist uses different mediums within her artwork, including collage, oils, traditional printmaking, photography, and digital manipulation, as a way to express her interest in personal expansion. Inspired by nature, esoteric studies, music, psychedelics, and Salvador Dali, Oliver’s works give a visual representation of her various mindstates and allow the viewer to interpret the images on a more personal level.

“I aim for my art to be a tool that helps facilitate awareness of oneself in the ever-changing moment. A meditation tool to reflect on whatever is brought up by viewing the image. Like all art, this is a subjective experience and everyone's interpretation will be different.”

After exploring different types of collage and printmaking in high school, Oliver continued to develop her skills and studied Fine Arts at college, majoring in printmaking and oil painting. She has held solo and group exhibitions of her work and is currently in the process of making a Tarot card deck with her collages.

“Collage is a good launch pad as it helps me tap into my subconscious, not think too much and come up with some images and inspiration. I'm attracted to layers, creating a sense of dimension, ‘other-worldliness’. I like to use art as a form of meditation and in turn hope that the viewer may experience moments of transcendence when looking at the art,” she said.

Oliver hopes that in the future she can collaborate with people and create community art projects, through murals, art therapy workshops, larger scale immersive art experiences and festivals. 

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2017

Images- Trevor King

Australian Fashion Designer- Ebony Eagles

The divinity of the female form has long been an influence in fashion design- creatives have paid homage to the beauty of women for centuries. This devotion to the feminine is perfectly embodied in Australian fashion designer Ebony Eagles’ luxe bohemè creations. Thirty-four-year-old Eagles is the Head Designer and Creative Director for Byron Bay-based fashion label- Auguste.

Under the sun-laced skies of Byron Bay - the most easterly point of Australia – a melting pot of creative talent is emerging onto the fashion landscape. A new wave of conscious-minded designers are expressing their love for fashion, which is synonymous with their love for the colour-drenched environment that they live in. Ebony Eagles’ vibrant designs for Auguste are an illustration of this fusion of creativity with environmental beauty. In its third year of life, Auguste is already creating an international stir. 

Growing up surrounded by the exquisite natural beauty of Byron Bay, Eagles is the epitome of a creative manifestation of her environment. “I grew up in Byron and self-expression through fashion has always been such a prevalent theme here. For me there has always been a strong lifestyle element, inspired by what I’m currently immersed in… I love designing pieces for special moments.”

Born in Melbourne, Eagles made the transition north with her family to the small coastal town of Byron Bay when she was six years old. “Byron has such a creative community which constantly inspires me. Growing up here has definitely influenced my designs, we were encouraged to be free spirits and that we were!”

The gypsy spirit and bohemian soul that Byron Bay embodies is clearly alive in Ebony’s designs. Auguste’s ultra-feminine pieces possess fresh florals, statement prints and floaty silhouettes inspired by the fashion of the late 60’s and early 70’s. The laid-back and effortless style of 70’s muses such as Stevie Nicks, Bridgette Bardot and Joni Mitchel echo through Eagles’ designs. “There was something about their attitudes that allowed them to wear quite intense outfits but they never seemed too deliberate or overdressed.” Auguste is boho-chic at its finest, with a carefree attitude that fuses sophistication with cool, romantic glamour and a bohemian heart.

Eagles' passion for clothing design began in her childhood. She produced her first piece of clothing, a skirt, at eight years old. “My late grandmother would spend hours teaching me how to stitch and use a sewing machine. It wasn’t long before I was making my own clothes.”

Completely self-taught, Eagles plunged into the fashion industry at the age of twenty-two with the birth of her first label, Ebony Eve, in 2005. “I made and learnt from all of the mistakes in the book… school of life.” Ebony Eve saw success within Australia and internationally, though eventually the designer’s style began to evolve and Auguste was launched in 2014. “I came to the point where I had naturally started designing pieces with a more relaxed and bohemian feel to them- and I realised I had created an entirely different label. From there Auguste was born and it has been an amazing adventure so far!” 

Auguste launched their concept store and first branded space in Byron Bay this year. With the philosophy of “wear what makes you feel beautiful,” Auguste brings a collection of dreamy day dresses, bohemian blouses, bright ensembles, stunning wrap-dresses and skirts designed for “the best times in our lives”. Think balmy tropical nights, salty days by the sea, summer festivals and trips down long open roads. Auguste’s latest collections encapsulate this philosophy. “With each collection I have had a better feel for who the Auguste Girl is and what she feels best in. Our most recent collections focus heavily on the marriage of silhouette and those small design details which make a piece feel really special.”

Growing up in Byron Bay gave Eagles an appreciation for the natural environment and the importance of sustainable production. In a world where sustainability is becoming a prominent theme, Byron-based Auguste HQ promotes eco-friendly practices with the use of all-natural cleaning products, recycled paper, composting and encouraging staff to cycle to and from work. Auguste strives to ensure that as little waste as possible is created from their production process- with the use of primarily seaweed based dyes and the recycling of all off-cuts to make kids' clothes. “Our HQ has gone plastic-free and we’re currently planning some pretty exciting eco initiatives and a very special partnership- so watch this space!” 

As well as promoting eco-friendly work practices, Auguste is in the midst of designing a tote bag with 100% of all proceeds going to the charity, International Animal Rescue. The organisation rescues suffering animals from around the globe. Their work includes freeing and rehabilitating dancing bears from India and rescuing primates from captivity in Indonesia. “Having lived in Bali for nearly a decade, helping these sorts of animals is something I am really passionate about. Animals are home to me and within my lifetime I hope to make a difference for as many suffering creatures as possible.”

Mother to daughters Frankie and Coco, Eagles is part of the long list of successful women who are juggling their career with motherhood. The designer’s biggest challenge has been managing her global office from Bali, before making the move back to Byron Bay this year.

With exciting new endeavors in the pipeline and Auguste Swim dropping, the world and the salty haven of Byron Bay really are Eagles' oyster. Auguste continues to create pieces for "the girl with the moon on her mind and the salt water in her soul". The ultra-chic label is paving the way for the wild-hearted. In the words of Fleetwood Mac, “to a room with some lace and paper flowers, back to the gypsy that I was". 

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2016

Images- David Hauserman

Australian Fashion Designer- Rowie Moore

Raw artistic talent is a phenomenon that cannot always be learnt by reading a book or completing a university degree. Some things flow naturally and for Byron Bay fashion designer- Rowie Moore – artistic  skill runs deep in her bones. Having developed her expertise autonomously, the 40 year-old Australian fashion designer has been cultivating her craft for 25 years. “I grew up in a community surrounded by creative people. I left school when I was 14 but I had already started making clothes and selling them to friends. I have never had a ‘real job’ I made at least one piece every day and I have never studied!” 

Rowie is the Creative director and designer for Byron Bay-based fashion label- Rowie. Her devotion to fashion design and her natural eye for creating clothes that compliment the female form is illustrated through Rowie’s stunning collections. Rowie comprises contemporary classics with a free-spirited bohemian aesthetic. Soft, feminine and chic- Rowie brings a collection of delicate dresses, relaxed basics, tailored separates, earthy colour-palettes and signature prints.

The Byron Bay native’s laid-back approach to balancing work with lifestyle is evident in her creations “I really just want women to feel good in their skin and in the clothes they wear. I love comfortable clothing but I also love the feminine, so I try to create based around these two things.”

Her creative passion for clothing design, pattern-making and sewing evolved throughout her youth and Rowie eventually started selling her pieces at local markets around the North Coast of New South Wales. Her eclectic style became more refined over time, with the feminine form always being her focal point.

In 2010 Rowie began designing collections, starting with two per year, which has now grown to four collections per year and has since launched a boutique in Byron Bay and in the neighbouring town of Bangalow. Her business continues to grow and become more successful- with the branch of a luxe Rowie home wares range and her side project “Our Label.”

Rowie finds inspiration from the women that surround her, and the colourful streets of Byron Bay provide a perpetual visual palette for fashion creativity. “Byron is full of amazing artists, especially fashion creative’s which I love because there is a constant flow of stylers floating in and out of town.”

With her freewheeling style, you can find Rowie sketching designs on napkins while on the run or locked away in her studio, entrenched in her creative realm. “I have a pretty chaotic style- I tick away with inspiration sometimes for months before I start sketching a collection – then I change the designs numerous times before locking it all in.”

From its pandanas lined beaches to its rich rainforest, the Byron Bay landscape is a point of inspiration for Rowie’s creations. The earthy tones of Rowie’s latest collection for Aus winter ’16- Solstice are influenced by the changing seasons and the wildgrass that lines the roads surrounding Byron Bay. The intrinsic wonder of her surroundings has gifted Rowie with a love for natural beauty. “Growing up in a community full of people passionate about the natural land has had a life long influence and created a deeper understanding of respecting the earth, our environment and people in general.” Rowie applies this philosophy into her creative process- “The choices I make with design and production, by being a creative problem solver to reduce waste when things go wrong and even just sharing my smile with people I work with.”

Living by the philosophy of non-mass production- Rowie ensures only a limited number of pieces are made per collection. “Sustainability is a big word in our wider community and something I think about often. Our production is small-scale which allows greater control over waste.” Rowie aims to produce garments that will last for more than one season and is always sourcing sustainable fabrics and dying processes.

The Fashion industry can be a platform for the collaboration of artistic talent- and the North Coast of NSW is no exception – the  creative cluster of local designers in Byron Bay support each other through their artistic processes. “I feel hugely grateful to be surrounded by not only like-minded creatives but smart, strong and passionate women in business. I often workshop business issues with my designer friends at the beach with our little ones!”

Byron Bay designers are carving their way onto the international fashion arena bringing colour, vibrancy and a unique blend of beauty and authenticity. After recently spending six weeks in Europe, Rowie came home with an admiration for the Australian fashion scene “I think Byron is killing it in the fashion world! I love that there are so many amazing designers in this town and it’s a constant source of inspiration to know that people around you are creating magic.”

Rowie brings earthly beauty with timeless pieces that compliment the feminine and embrace the wonder of life. As her business continues to expand, Rowie stands by her ideals of a balanced lifestyle that is harmonious with her passion for design and her love for the environment. “I would love to see the business grow but not too big, I still need time to stop and smell the flowers.”

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2017

Australian Interior Designer- Sally Caroline Klopper

With a decade of experience in the interior design industry, Australian designer and entrepreneur, Sally Caroline Klopper, takes a holistic and conscious approach to her craft. Klopper harnesses her distinct style and expertise to create luxury custom interiors that speak to the needs and desires of her clientele. “To design consciously is to create homes that are intuitive, intelligent, responsive, quality and beautiful. For me, a home needs to nurture your everyday routines so that you can rest, entertain and energise yourself to live the life you dream of.”

Throughout her design process, Klopper considers foundational structure, interior architecture and decorative aesthetics as one, and utilises this holistic philosophy to bring her vision, and that of her clients, to fruition. Her design style is relaxed yet exudes modern elegance through beauty and simplicity.

After completing a Bachelor of Interior Design in 2008 – between Melbourne’s Swinburne University and Danmark’s Designskol in Copenhagen – Klopper landed an internship in London with renowned French designer, Philippe Starck. She then proceeded to work for influential designers, David Hicks and Kerry Phelan in Melbourne, before eventually launching her own design business- Sally Caroline – a luxury interior design studio specialising in private residences, based in Melbourne’s South Yarra. “Taking a business from its infancy to a humming design studio is by far my greatest challenge in life so far. Being you own business owner, pushing your own design ethos and philosophy is like attempting to fly for the first time after seeing others do it before.”

Klopper’s innate drive for creative design arose at an early age – when at twelve years old she was given a project at school to re-design a home. “I instantly felt connected to and energised by the idea of crafting a space for someone to live. The idea of home has always been hugely important and sentimental to me, so it seems natural that this has become what I do!” Her discernment and hard working ethos have seen her career evolve and expand, and in 2012, Klopper co-founded HARKLO – an online boutique of hand picked homewares, sourced from around the globe.

Since establishing her design business in 2012, Klopper has launched her sister company, Open Design Studio, an innovative online course that allows members to fulfill the practical components of their design process with the guidance of professionals– from spatial planning to interior styling. Open Design Studio provides members with the templates, tools, guides, worksheets and resources needed to design like an expert. “I’m really excited to introduce this to the market because nothing truly exists like it elsewhere! Not everybody wants to hire an interior designer for a full service luxury project.”

Klopper works hands-on in the digital space of Open Design Studio – providing advice for budding DIY designers. “Along the way they can book chats with me or jump into their private members-only Facebook group where my studio and I share design inspiration, tips, news, as well as trade related secrets we discover.”

For the Melbourne based designer, the greatest satisfaction in her work is witnessing her clients create spaces that accommodate their lifestyle and personal style. “Every finish, every join, every tactile element and detail is considered for their style preferences. Luxury doesn't need to be a room full of beautiful objects, rather a perfectly curated mix of high-quality, conscious and sentimental items.”

Klopper’s central philosophies for designing functional and intelligent living spaces combine sustainability and long-term thinking. “Sustainable thinking is the only way to design for the future. I see to often short-term thinking in design and city planning. Intelligent homes use resources well and are built to last.”

The designer’s focus is to nurture the inhabitant’s daily routines and she encourages her clients to buy less, but buy well. “I’d rather clients make few but considered purchases. It’s not good to be wasteful and a cluttered home is a cluttered mind. I encourage building personal collections slowly and truly to the style of the client.

The concept of intelligent homes that function intuitively again correlates with the notion of sustainable practices. “Intelligent homes use light efficiently. They are designed to maximise the beauty of natural light, and the artificial lighting is low impact for energy consumption.”

Klopper has a passion for craftsmanship and a meticulous eye for planning that is inspired by her travels throughout the world. Her idea of luxury does not rely on an excessive amount of items in one’s home, but rather creating a living space that nurtures life’s daily rituals. “I look for a home that is intelligently planned, expertly detailed and beautifully animated through the careful play of natural and artificial light.”

Through Open Design Studio, Klopper aims to challenge modern perceptions behind home design and create lasting designs that are born from a more conscious outlook. “I’m sharing my knowledge and experience to allow people to approach design correctly – rather than make the mistakes that are prevalent with quick-fix DIY projects from poor information sources.”

While Klopper's empire continues to grow and evolve, so does her design style. Through her creative visions, the entrepreneur inspires and enhances the lives of her clients. "We'd like to help more people design homes that they can be truly proud of, that are responsive to their lifestyle and emphatic of their individuality. I'd love to see our community grow in the future."

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2017

Images- Laksmi Wilson

Copper and Cross

The ancient weaving ritual of the Oje de Dios or “God’s Eye,” has seen its embodiment manifest for centuries, through a vast lineage of indigenous Americans, such as the Huichol and Tepehuan Indians of Western Mexico and the ancient Pueblo peoples of New Mexico. These colourful ancient crosses are spiritual objects, which are often woven in solitude, as part of an expanded meditation or prayer.

Using her innovative skill, Byron Bay-born Laksmi Wilson, has adopted this traditional weaving technique to create stunning art pieces for the contemporary home. “I’ve always wanted to retain the legitimacy of the traditional – the superstition of the mythology, the ancient technique, but excite with that a modern approach and style,” said Wilson. Twenty-nine year-old Wilson spends many painstaking hours hand-crafting her intricate God’s Eye crosses for her boutique homewares business – Copper and Cross.

Crafting is Wilson's addiction, and creating a piece of art that really works reverberates in all areas of her life. “I try to strive for genuineness in all aspects of my life. I pour love into my products. I pour good intention. I honour the tradition bound to the crosses I make," she said. Although hours of physical and mental work go into creating her art, Wilson's desire for an alternative to a nine-to-five job is paramount. 

All pieces are ethically made, and Copper and Crossalso produces an assortment of wooden arrows, woven planter baskets, artisan candles and Chunga Rounds, which are traditional Panamanian baskets whose weaving depicts the culture, landscape, mythological tales and motifs of Panama. “We work closely with a family in Panama who weaves the older style baskets for us. Each basket is unique and takes time.” Once imported back to Australia, Laksmi adorns the baskets with colourful tassels and pom poms and transforms them into wall hangings. “I love the irregularity of the patterns, the stories they tell. I love the quality of them. You feel the effort involved- the trees harvested, fibre stripped and dried, the dying process and the hands tirelessly creating,” she said. 

Through amalgamating the world of ancient tradition with the world of modern art, Wilson’s pieces speak the universal language of spirit and embody the work of the creative brain. “The more creative pursuits you embark on, the more it comes naturally, the more you see inspiration everywhere, the more you’re creating an experience of the world for yourself that is perhaps less tangible, more imaginative and playful,” she said. The barebones of Wilson’s creative drive is to craft objects that possess a narrative and a point of difference. All of the pieces are unique and irregular, with no two objects ever being the same. “When people relate to that, it creates this cyclic process of inspiring and being inspired. To have people love what you love to do is an expanding and humbling experience."

Words- Birralee Paitson

Publication- Welum, 2018

Moogahlin Performing Arts Inc.

In 2007, three artistically-minded creatives from Sydney, Australia, came together to form the Moogahlin Performing Arts Incorporated, an Indigenous Australian performing arts company that facilitates and showcases a multitude of First People's artistic projects ranging from theatre performances to film, video installation, visual arts, music, and photography. Born in the suburb of Redfern, Sydney NSW, the company holds a strong vision as a leading organisation that produces local, regional, national and international art projects by Aboriginal people.

Sharing the common ground of identifying as First Peoples of Australia, the founders of Moogahlin Performing Arts Inc. Lily Shearer, Frederick Copperwaite, and Liza-Mare Syron came together in collaboration, using their diverse backgrounds in performing arts and indigenous community involvement to create a platform for what is essentially a space for traditional and contemporary Aboriginal storytelling.

“I lead a lot of the community projects, as I’m very passionate about community stories, rejuvenating cultural memory and building community capacity in the creative industries sector, as ART is WORKING LIFE for us. You can’t separate Culture and Art like the western ideologies, as they are one in the same that are integral to our being, our existence,” says founding Co-Artistic Director Lily Shearer.

The idea for the company was created through the vision of the late Uncle Kevin Smith, a First Peoples artist who worked across the indigenous performing arts sector, in areas which included theatre, film, comedy, and voiceover. Since gaining Australia Council multi-year funding in 2017, Moogahlin Performing Arts Inc. has grown exponentially and operates as a full-time performing arts company with year-round projects.

“Moogahlin now has projects all over the state of NSW, we have the ONLY First Peoples-led national gathering and exchange through the Yellamundie National First Peoples Playwriting Festival, a biannual event, and work internationally with partners who produce a similar festival in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Turtle Island (Canada),” says Shearer.

In 2014, the company became a resident at Carriageworks, a contemporary multi-arts centre in the Redfern/Waterloo precinct, and in 2015 became a company-in-residence at Blacktown Arts Centre, Sydney.

“We’ve taken it step-by-step and project-by-project since then, building our expertise and skills in the creative industries, particularly First Peoples Sector to grow the company to what it is today,” says Shearer.

Moogahlin employs over one hundred artists and arts workers each year and creates pathways for Aboriginal communities and theatre makers in NSW. The company facilitates acting classes, scriptwriting and storytelling workshops with high school students, adults, and local elders. The artist’s development programs create new works in playwriting and composition by emerging as well as established indigenous artists.

“Moogahlin engages with NSW First Peoples audiences, theatre makers and artists, through our annual program of activities by developing and presenting new theatre works that speak to First Peoples stories,” Shearer explains.

In April of 2017, Moogahlin held the Festival of Baiame’s Ngunnhu, a festival of ceremony and celebration in Brewarrina, NSW, which acts as a voice for the Aboriginal people of the region. The multi-arts performance festival promotes First Peoples led social inclusion and artistic participation, and showcases the inspirational stories from the local indigenous youth, community members and elders of the Ngemba, Baranbinja, Morowari, Kula, Naualko, Ualarai, Weilwan, Kamilaroi, Kamu and Paarkinlji communities.

Having the opportunity to be involved in cultural arts projects that allow the stories of the First Peoples to be told, is what rewards co-founder, Shearer. “Mentoring and nurturing a new generation of artists and arts workers is humbling and rewarding, especially when you’re surrounded by a circle of Elders to yarn with for advice, guidance and support, a very important value that we hold in high esteem as a company,” says Shearer.

With its continually expanding creative force, Moogahlin Performing Arts Inc.'s future endeavours will see new projects in stage, documentary film, music composition, cultural arts, and community development.