Artist and proud Goreng Goreng woman Rachael Sarra has won the Queensland Telstra Best of Business Award for Indigenous Excellence.
Ms Sarra redefines First Nations art through her business Rachael Sar.ra, blending vibrant designs with strategic brand collaborations and public art projects.
She has worked with high-profile clients including Tourism Australia, Kmart, Lush Australia and UK, Australia Post and Glasshouse Fragrances, her work spanning from large-scale installations to award-winning children's book illustrations, and all driven by her passion for community and cultural storytelling.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design from the Queensland College of Art and awarded a Griffith University 2022 Outstanding Alumni Award, Ms Sarra said this is the first time she's entered the awards.
"This prestigious award is an affirming moment and a lovely reminder of how far I've come and where I'm going, and it's something I'm really proud of, it's really exciting," the 32-year-old said.
"When I was young, the perception of the creative industry was that it could only ever be hobby, and not seen as a viable career pathway or something you could make money from.
"I'm proud that I'm able to make a full-time living as an artist and advocate for our rights and role within the industry."
From as early as Year 7 at school, Ms Sarra's artwork has always been different.
"Our class was asked to draw a self-portrait, and while the other kids drew a traditional-style person, mine was lines and colours, more abstract, and that was a moment when I realised that my art was different, it stood out," she said.
She prides herself on being a change-maker, redesigning how First Nations businesswomen navigate success while anchoring their business in culture.
"As a young Aboriginal woman, there are not many environments where we can stand up and take agency in the world, and I feel that through my art, I'm playing a role in doing that for myself and also playing a role in preserving our culture from the past, embracing the present and being a link to others for the future," Ms Sarra said.
"I've had other Aboriginal women reach out to me and tell me how my art resonates with them and that they felt empowered to follow their own creative passions and advocate themselves as artists."
It was when Ms Sarra identified what makes her happy that her career as an artist began to flourish.
"I worked for design agencies and always felt uneasy, my energy was out of balance, it's like when you throw a rock into lake, the ripples are shaky and fast and not flowing softly, that's how I felt," she said.
"When I started working for myself, I felt calm, it felt like it was all coming together, it felt like my spirit was coming home and resting."
Bright and soft pinks feature in many of her works, along with aqua hues and swirls of blues, inspired by her Country in the Bundaberg area and the Great Barrier Reef.
"I was able to get an understanding of colour psychology theory at Uni, and how colours evoke different emotions - I love the pinks and blues, and the psychology of pink can be really energetic in one tone and have a calming effect in another tone."
The Indigenous Excellence award is given to an Indigenous led, owned and operated businesses succeeding through entrepreneurialism, innovation and inspiring the next generation of all Australians.
The national winners will be announced at the Telstra Best of Business gala dinner held in Melbourne on November 28.
Ms Sarra's stunning works can be viewed online.