Rachael Sarra

ARTIST & DESIGNER, BRISBANE, QLD

Where did a love of art start for you? In Year 7 with a self-portrait project at school. For me, this was conflicting as I didn’t really know who I was at such a young age. I was having an internal identity crisis. I knew I was a mixed-race Aboriginal, Italian Australian, but I never saw myself reflected in my community unless I was at home with family. My work was more emotional and abstract, and was about being in my own world, where I felt I could belong and be heard. How would you describe your art? My work is described as contemporary Aboriginal art that’s an extension of my being and experiences. I am a multi-disciplinary artist, but I feel most comfortable when I’m creating digitally. What do you love about painting?

It’s an outlet that allows me to hold space for my emotions and experiences in a way that I can acknowledge and work through them, while navigating two worlds as a proud Goreng Goreng woman in this contemporary space. Do you take commissions? I run my own business as a commercial artist, First Nations influencer and creative director of Sar.ra. So I take both commercial commissions and a limited number of fine-art commissions each year. rachaelsarra.com; @sar.ra