Indigenous Artists Miimi + Jiinda Share Their Creative Process

NOV 17|3 min read

At Home with Adairs: behind the designs, inspiration, and collaborations with our favourite artists.

We're excited to launch our third collaboration with Indigenous Australian artists and mother-daughter duo, Miimi + Jiinda, who hail from the Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, and Bundjalung tribes of Australia’s East Coast.

We sat with Lauren Jarrett (Miimi) & Melissa Greenwood (Jiinda) to discuss the inspiration behind our new collaboration. As natural storytellers, Miimi + Jiinda artworks are rich in culture and tell stories through their bright distinctive style — seamlessly weaving tradition and contemporary colours to create beautiful works of art that are inspired by their strong, feminine matriarchal line.

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What inspired this latest range?

Melissa: the Nambucca River is at the heart of our inspiration. This collection not only captures the essence of the land but also captures the essence of the people. It brings back memories for both me and mum of our childhoods growing up on country.

The blues and greens represent our saltwater country, our Gaagal (oceans), Bindarray (rivers), and Jullum (mountains). The colours also represent the essence of Gumbaynggirr people; we love seafood, and swimming in the ocean and rivers

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“We’re very feminine, we love bright bold colours. You’re channeling stories through your ancestors and through your culture. So, it’s like an organic and natural process.”

As an artist duo, how do you work collaboratively? Can you tell us a bit about your process?

Melissa: As we are both very intuitive - and can instantly read each other - we work well as a team. We both have different skill sets and they complement each other really well. We love going for bush walks and getting inspired by nature. Mum has been a gentle guide and influence in my journey of art, teaching me the importance of staying connected; connected to culture, to family, to myself, and to nature.

Lauren: It brings me so much joy to see my daughter walk in my footsteps; it makes me very proud. Weaving and Art is everything to me - it’s a part of my daily life and always will be. It keeps me sane and happy! We work well together because we are both calm and respectful people who encourage one another.

“I could just paint for the rest of my life, because there is so much inspiration out there.”

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What inspired you both to become artists?

Melissa: Definitely our culture, our healing, our stories, our family… The drive and passion to share our culture inspires us daily. Painting for me is a way to express the essence of who I am as proud Gumbaynggirr custodian who comes from a strong and resilient bloodline.

Lauren: I started drawing on the ground as a child with sticks and making pictures out of whatever I could get in nature. I have always had an interest in art and natural fibres. Storytelling is very important in our culture and that’s what we do with our artwork.

Melissa: Being artists gives us the opportunity to educate others and inspire non-Indigenous people to appreciate and learn about our ancient and sacred history. I hope all Australians can gain a deeper respect for our all Aboriginal nations throughout Australia and understand that we are all so different and diverse.

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What excites you about collaborating with Adairs?

Melissa: We are so excited to be able to reach such a large and diverse audience through Adairs; to be able to bring our culture into so many Australian homes and be the talking piece of the room. It’s such an amazing brand to work with, we love the team and work well together. We also love that the products are of such great quality and that they’re a well-known and respected Australian brand.

When creating the products for a broader market, we had to ensure the designs ran true to who we are and what we create. I hope that the collection inspires non-Indigenous people to get a thirst for knowledge and learn as much as they can about this country’s rich and sacred 80,000-year history. This collaboration has given the chance for all Australians to gain a deeper respect for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

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