Founding Director

Gabby holds a BA in Visual Arts and Dip Ed, from the University of Western Sydney, NSW, and Master of International Development, almost completed, from University of Sunshine Coast, QLD. Gabby taught art and design and technology in NSW, SA, QLD, and Nauru and has held senior management positions in NGO’s, working with marginalised people. She has experience in assisting traumatised people, inspiring them to create artwork with meaning, to help with finding purpose to aid their trauma recovery. Human rights have been the theme of Gabby’s own art practice, informed by her activism and advocacy for people from a refugee background.

Ambassador For Women

Founder of Women United: Queensland humanist photographer captured intimate portraits of 200 women embedded in their individual lifescapes for the enduring Women United Exhibition.

Travelling throughout rural, regional, and urban Australia for 3 years, Lyons captured a diverse selection of women, women of all ages and walks of life. In capturing the essence, the voice of each woman in her own space, Lyons challenges us to reflect on and respond to the imbedded story of each photographic portrait.

Ambassador for First Nations People

Cholena (Koa) was born on Turrbal Country, grew up on Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) Country and now lives on Jinibara Country. After many years of study and teaching at both Tafe and university, Cholena has a strong art practice in many areas of Visual Arts. Using a large variety of materials and processes, her art shares her love for Country. Cholena wanders in the bush, listens, breathes in the air, her senses observe all the intimate details with a feeling of incalculable significance and importance with the connection to her environment. Her artwork offers the viewers a glimpse of the experience felt.

Ambassador For Indigenous People

Jandamarra Cadd – a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendent, is an inspirational man with many stories to tell. With his vibrant and expressive portraitures, Jandamarra’s artwork is emotive and insightful – and is a powerful medium to bridge the story telling divide between Aboriginal and mainstream Australia.

Painting has been a way of life that has enabled him to express his creativity and storytelling and in many of his paintings of the human condition, he seeks to be a peaceful voice for unity. Jandamarra uses a variety of styles and mediums, with his unique blend of traditional aboriginal art techniques along with his own signature contemporary portraiture.

Jandamarra has not only been a finalist in every major Portrait Art Prize in Australia, but is also in very high demand as an Inspirational Speaker and Ambassador.

Jandamarra “recently made history by becoming the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned to do a work for the historic Memorial Collection at Parliament House. His portrait of Nova Peris OAM was unveiled at Parliament House in October 2019”. Read more here shorturl.at/hjBJ8

http://jandamarrasart.com/

Ambassador for Refugee and Migrant People

Yasaman, an award winning, published poet and writer, living in Australia, has spent eight years detained on Nauru and in Australian detention, after attempting to seek asylum in Australia in 2013. At 23 Yasaman has faced persecution and trauma and understands the injustices young women, people seeking asylum and refugees endure whilst seeking freedoms and basic human rights. Denied the right to participate in tertiary education, Yasaman, with her brilliance, recognised with awards, has found avenues to contribute to the arts through her poetry, writing and public speaking.

Ambassador Expert on Child Rights

Associate Professor Dr Harriot Beazley is a human geographer and community development practitioner with experience in rights-based child centred research with children and young people, and in community based, gender-focused research in South East Asia especially Indonesia and Cambodia.

Currently, Harriot's professional responsibilities also include roles as the Commissioning Editor (Australia and Pacific), Children's Geographies: Advancing Interdisciplinary Understanding of Younger People's Lives (Routledge, London). She is a technical adviser with both Save the Children and UNICEF (in participatory approaches with children and young people), and also with DFAT (child protection and development programs).

Founding Director

After studying to complete a sign writing apprenticeship, at Sydney Technical College, Mark owned and operated successful sign writing and airbrush mural artwork business’s lasting 25 years. With an array of manual skills, he has created functional, handcrafted, unique, sustainably sourced timber products, of exceptional quality. Mark’s interest in travelling, cooking, and woodwork, has informed his creations, taking cooking implements from South East Asia, to incorporate into his timber furniture products.

Ambassador For LGBTQIA

Seeking Ambassador/s

Seeking Ambassador/s

Anne has been a friend of the gallery and exhibiting artists since its inception.

Anne explores the natural landscape deeply listening, using natural inks, textiles, installations and performance. Sharing this work allows for a deeper investigation of ancestry, identity and the rites of passage. She works on Kabi Kabi country, and has been working with plants and the more than human for the last 10 years. A finalist in national and local art prizes and the recipient of numerous grants for creative plant related collaborations.