Simone Arnol is a descendant of the Gunggandji Peoples through her father (with Sicilian heritage through her mother). She uses this strong connection to family and Country as a foundation for all of her art. 

Keeping it grass roots while respecting the elders, the keepers of Knowledge - this is the deep underlying passion reflected throughout her practice.

Inspired by the many Elders, children and Traditional Owners that have been a part of her life through her working career in Indigenous Law and Native Title, she continues to expand herself as a developing, grassroots artist. Her stories flow strongly through her works on canvas, portraits on paper, photography and her true passion for textiles and clothing design. 

Simone continues to experiment and progress through different mediums with each piece keeping within cultural and mainstream sustainability practices. 

In more recent years she has worked in fashion curation, events, and design projects. She has showcased her work at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s Fashion Performances for the last 5 years and co-curated this premier event for the last 3 years. Simone was the first Indigenous Designer at The Australian Eco Fashion Week in Perth in 2017. Along with winning the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) - Environmental and Sustainability Contribution category in 2021.

As seen in her past collections, Simone combines unique & modern designs with powerful narratives to convey true messages of her history and her people.

Bernard Lee Singleton is an Umpila, Djabugay/Yirrgay man raised in Cape York Peninsula. He continues to maintain strong cultural connections to his Djabugay and Yirrgay country of the Cairns Region where he is based. His practice is focused on crafting traditional hunting weapons, tools and objects which are heavily based on his father’s 30-year work as an archaeological relic’s ranger.   

Bernard has over 15 years’ experience in cultural tourism, presenting internationally, performing, and educating as well as curatorial work in art galleries, exhibitions, and art fairs in Northern Australia. His work draws from his connections to and foundations of traditional crafting, traditional materials, or creation stories within. 

I craft using traditional materials—wood, stone, water, and fire—to ground myself. It is known that these techniques, which have been used over hundreds of years, become somewhat embedded in our DNA. So, through the process of making a spear or shaping the figure of a spirit, I connect with my ancestors and they help bring my craft to life. My work is a way for me to acknowledge and remember the times of my great grandmothers and great grandfathers and those before. My designs are inspired by the laws of nature and the forms found in the creation stories around me. Using these basic forms or designs, I work to represent the bond of art and the continuation of culture. 

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