Known for her popular digital illustration company K-Rae Designs, proud Bundjalung and South Sea Islander artist Kimberly Engwicht has grown her career in more ways than one.
Residing on Yuggera Country in Queensland, Engwicht is also a mother of two little ones aged nine and six - who she says inspire her creative flair even more.
"After I had my first baby, I tried my hand at lettering with watercolours, ink and markers. I then explored creating digital art from my iPad which I felt more comfortable with. In 2017 I started my small business and it was when I launched my first line of greeting cards. From there it grew into selling my art on various types of stationery which include stickers, journals, notepads and art prints," she said.
Celebrated for her vibrant pieces of work across varying mediums, the artist says her illustrations all reflect her love for pop culture.
"I enjoy creating bright, bold and colourful illustrations that reflect my love for pop culture, cartoons and magic-realist landscapes. Although I still have an online store, my main priority nowadays is purely focusing on creating illustrations for other businesses or collaborations," she said.
Engwicht's vibrant colour palette and engaging pieces of work has seen her engage in a range of career defining projects and collaborations.
"Over the last eight years in business, I've had some amazing opportunities come my way that I'm so grateful for. My top five favourite career highlights would have to be, Creating illustrations for a TV show for kids called Languages of Our Land with ABC Kids, Illustrating a children's picture book titled 'Nature All Around Us', partnering with Canva to bring out x25 of my illustrations to be used for free in their online design suite, collaboarating with Cadbury Chocolate and Freddo Frog - where I created a fun interactive activity book sold in Woolworths - and collaborating with Mini Australia where my art was displayed on the top of numerous Mini Coopers around Australia," she said.
Engwicht says after a few larger collaborations at the end of 2024 she is now enjoying easing into the new year at a slower pace.
"I had a quiet one bringing in the new year at home…while watching my art on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Yes, crazy," she said.
"Last year I had the opportunity to work with We Are Warriors and City of Sydney, where my artwork was animated and then projected up onto the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the 9pm 'Calling Country' fireworks on New Year Eve. Other than that, I have slowly eased into 2025 with a couple of fun collaborations on the horizon."
With the number of collaborations Engwicht has been involved in only growing, she shared that she has definitely noticed a positive shift within the First Nations art industry and the level of opportunities now available to Indigenous artists.
"I definitely think the First Nations art industry has come a long way, with more amazing opportunities and collaborations happening for Indigenous artists and creatives," she said.
"That said, there's still a need to make sure the right protocols are followed when companies work and engage with us. It's very important that we are treated fairly, paid properly, and not taken advantage of."
"Over the past few years, it's been awesome to see us getting more recognition and being part of major collaborations. I'm really excited to see how much further it can evolve in 2025."
Engwicht seamlessly shares that art is how she expresses herself whilst resonating with others.
"Art means everything to me. It's not just my passion—it's my career, my present, and my future. It's a powerful way for me to channel my emotions and express myself creatively. I love creating art that resonates with others, making them smile, laugh, and feel," she said.
"Fusing my culture with my passion is incredible. It's something I never imagined would come to life. I especially enjoy drawing landscapes that remind me of my time on Country and creating works that represent people of colour. It's important to me that these pieces connect with the child inside and those around me who didn't see much representation growing up."
When asking the artist what advice she would give to other aspiring and emerging First Nations artists, she is quick to confirm that it all comes down to taking that leap of faith and giving it a go.
"If I could sit down with every aspiring Indigenous artist, hold their hands and look into their eyes I would say - JUST DO IT. Just start, you don't have to have all of your ducks in a row. Start out small, you'll find your feet. Find what you love and just create. Also don't be afraid of change, embrace it - because you just don't know where it'll lead you," she said.
"What motivated me at the beginning was creating art that I wanted to have in my home and would love to see in homes around the world. The love and support from family, friends and people online motivated me to keep creating, so having a good support network around you is also important. Have fun and enjoy seeing what comes to life."
When looking at the year ahead Engwicht said that while she can't reveal too much, she is working on a variety of new projects whilst also expnading her interest in her own collage skills and developing further in that area.
"I have a few awesome collaborations in store for this year, but unfortunately I can't share anything about them just yet. Keep your eyes on my socials to keep updated," she told StyleUp.
"What I do want to focus more on this year is developing my collage skills. I've really enjoyed exploring a different medium, just to challenge myself and try a new art process. So expect to see more of that this year," she said.
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