Aretha Brown thought she was going to be a psychologist when she grew up.

If she had taken that career path, the CBD of Naarm (Melbourne) would look a lot less beautiful than it does now.

Only 22 years old, the Gumbaynggirr muralist started her art journey when she was in Year 12.

It was her father, Paulie Stewart, who encouraged her to go after her artistic passions and dreams.

"In my last year my dad was like come on you should just do painting like you've always done painting and then I did it and it just took off from there," Brown said.

"And I had this kind of newfound love for it again."

Brown's art style is a combination of tribalism and pop art with a contemporary world view.

She said her art style is very different from what people normally expect from her as an Aboriginal artist.

"I think people in Australia do still have a bit of a limited understanding of what Indigenous art can look like," Brown said.

"The biggest thing I try to achieve with my artwork is just to try to get across how complex our mob are, how complex my mob are.

"There's a broad reach of Indigenous art styles and really playing with that stereotype a little bit is actually pretty awesome and I use it as a way to kind of educate people."

After going to art school, Brown quickly cemented herself as a professional artist working hard to put her art out there.

Her talents have taken her to London, Indonesia and India where she's had a hand in painting murals around different cities and locations.

Recently, she completed her biggest mural yet in Naarm on Collins Street.

"That was an entire city block and it was really hard, it was very hard," Brown confessed.

"But I think the reason I like being a muralist is because everyone's invited into the space. It's ephemeral in that it won't last forever, like the works will get tagged, they will eventually get eroded down by the rain but I don't mind it.

"Also no one gets to own it, yes a council can commission it but it's essentially everyone's and I think that's a really good metaphor for how Indigenous people kind of consider our lands as well.

"Yes a non-Indigenous person can own a property, can own farmland, but no one really owns it."

In 2023, Brown shows no signs of slowing down.

She's currently working on a piece for the international gallery at the National Gallery of Victoria.

And more of her murals will also be popping up around Australia and the world.