FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Nicole Monks is the creative director and founder of mili mili. Monks is a multi-disciplinary creative of Yamaji Wajarri and European heritage living and working on Awabakal (Newcastle) and Cammeraygal Country (Kirribilli). Monks’ 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 and 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 currently sits on the UNSW Galleries Board, the Advisory Council for the UNSW School of Art, Design and Architecture, and the Design Advisory Panel for the Powerhouse Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS).

Nicole was the winner of UNSW Art & Design Indigenous Professional Development Award, ArtsNSW Aboriginal Design Grant, Vivid Design competition (furniture) and Sydney Design Award (Textile and Surface Design).

Nicole’s works are collected nationally including the Powerhouse, Museum of Applied Arts and Science (MAAS) and National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of WA, Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie.

Her public artworks are throughout NSW, in private, public, education, heath and infrastructure projects having works commissioned and installed for councils, institutions, developers and government.

ARTIST

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.

ARTIST

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.

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT / CREATIVE

Charlotte Hilder started her creative industries career in film, working on productions such as Spike Jonez feature film ‘Where The Wild Things Are’. In 2003 after working with youth and communities in Fitzroy Melbourne on community arts and cultural projects, she has been producing, curating and managing arts and cultural initiatives for various government, arts, and community organisations.

Charlotte has also collaborated with diverse artists for over 17 years on varied cultural initiatives, including working on Festivals such as ‘Yirramboi’ – First Nations Arts Festival, the Asia TOPA triennial Festival in Melbourne and Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney and Perth.

Charlotte has qualifications in Fine Arts, Multimedia Design and Community Cultural Development, and is passionate about cross-cultural and cross-platform creative initiatives, and mentors emerging artists from diverse backgrounds.

Working closely with Community, councils, curators, clients and mili mili artists, Lottie navigates the sensibilities of all stakeholder to ensure Community knowledge is included and shared throughout the project from inception, developing a brief, concept through to installation.