A picture paints a thousand words

Or in the case of immensely talented Certificate III in Visual Arts (CUA31120) student Keira Alberts, it would be her stunning mural in which she acknowledges her Indigenous culture through a myriad of styles and designs.

When you visit TAFE Queensland’s Cairns campus, it is impossible to miss Keira’s ‘You Make Great Happen’ mural such are its vibrant colours, unique designs and visually arresting imagery.

As someone who has always been ‘a crafty person’, not only did Keira enjoy the creative process of coming up with the design with her classmates but also found inspiration in their ideas as well as those from her family.

“I knew I wanted the slogan on the mural to stand out and what helped was that I was able to take inspiration from each of my classmates,” Keira said.

“For example, having the Aboriginal flag and colours represented was important to me as I really wanted to pay homage to my culture.

“As part of the process, I talked to my mum and dad, brothers and my aunty who also suggested we pay homage to the Torres Strait Islander flag through the colours of blue, green and white and by painting the land animals on the top and the sea animals on the bottom of the mural.

“While the letter ‘o’ on the mural is like the centre of the Indigenous flag, the style of painting we painted on the ground represents the Warlpiri country that my dad married into and the cross-hatching style represents the way we paint around here in Cairns which is where my mum is from.”

Keira is quick to point out that her love of painting and the arts has been nurtured by the encouragement and support of her teachers, and her enjoyment of the Visual Arts course.

“My course and my teachers have been really flexible and understanding which is great as it means I can catch up on work either in class or at home, and it’s been helpful knowing my teachers are always readily available,” Keira said.

“When you can study with teachers and classmates who are as passionate about art as you are, it makes it that much more exciting and worthwhile.

“Choosing to study this course has probably been the best thing I’ve done in a while.”

We couldn’t agree more, Keira. Not only is your mural a feast for the eyes but we could not be more proud of your contributions and the artistic wonder you have gifted us with!

To find out how you can pursue a career in arts and other creative industries at TAFE Queensland, visit tafeqld.edu.au or call 1300 308 233 for more information and let TAFE Queensland help you define your greatness.