Rachael Sarra

Arts, Education and Law's 2022 Outstanding First Peoples Alumnus

Bachelor of Design

Rachael Sarra makes sense of the world around her through her artistic work. “Every day I am realising my passion for art,” she says. “From the moment I was creating there was an absence of confusion. It was a feeling of calmness and excitement and as I learnt to follow that feeling I realised it was guiding me towards art.”

A multidisciplinary artist, designer and successful entrepreneur, Rachael’s work is an extension of her being and her experiences as a proud Goreng Goreng woman. Her creative expression and commitment to using her art as a powerful tool in storytelling to share Aboriginal culture and its evolution cements her place as a worthy recipient of a Griffith University Outstanding First Peoples Alumni Award.

"I felt a strong sense of pride to receive the award and to be recognised for the work I have been doing over the last few years,” Rachael says of her win. “It’s a lonely journey running a business by yourself, so it feels very special to be included in this group of people.

“Winning this award, in a lot of ways is still business as usual, but it is also external encouragement to continue creating strong foundations for myself and my community and helping people see the power that art and design can play.”

Rachael's work often challenges and explores the themes of societies perception of what Aboriginal art and identity is. Through her brand Sar.ra, established in 2019, Rachael brings together her passion for art, fashion, and design.

Rachael graduated with a Bachelor of Design from Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art and Design in 2013 and is a dynamic creative with the ability to challenge narratives that are often in place to perpetuate colonial harm. She describes her style as feminine, fun and engaging as well as drawn from her strong connection to her heritage and her role as an Aboriginal woman in a modern world.

“A lot of the messages in my work are based around themes and experiences that I’m personally grappling with, usually around the expression of my identity, sense of place and navigating the multiple worlds that I exist within,” she explains. “What I would love people to take away from my work is that as a community we are diverse people. And that my work is one of many ways that we are collectively navigating colonisation.”

Rachael has worked with a multitude of clients both nationally and internationally to authentically represent art, culture, and storytelling within their businesses from both a strategic and creative perspective. She is passionate about anchoring business in culture and giving back to community.

In 2019, her commissioned artwork Two Worlds was projected onto the William Jolly Bridge as part of a partnership with the Brisbane City Council for Black History Month. Moreover, both Two Worlds and another work Distinguish were wrapped onto two Council buses.

In the same year, Rachael took to the stage for her first major speaking engagement, sharing a TEDx talk on Art, Culture and the Modern Day.

She’s also had successful creative partnerships with many high-profile clients including Tourism Australia, Lush Australia and UK, Kmart, Australia Post and The Mills Foundation.

It would be hard to pick a standout project among such a vast and impactful portfolio, but Rachael says there’s one particular piece of work she has a soft spot for. “One of my favourite projects that I’ve worked on so far was the Australian Book Industry Award-winning children's book Our Home, Our Heartbeat that I worked on in collaboration with Adam Briggs, Kate Moon and Hardie Grant,” she says.

Rachael says her time at Griffith gave her a great standing to succeed in her work. “Griffith and the Queensland College of Art and Design helped me create a strong foundation for my future within the creative industry.”

She says rather than students following in her footsteps, she encourages them to forge their own path. “My advice is to hold space for yourself and to have the courage to explore the unknown,” she says. “It will take a lot of trust and consistency but when you get to the part where you ask yourself ‘What’s the point?’ ... By that moment all your hard work is done.

“You are just a moment away from everything falling into place.”