I wasn't meant to be in Darwin. I was meant to be walking the streets of Amsterdam, admiring the architecture and wearing the chic all-black winter wardrobe I'd built while living in Melbourne and working as an architect at a top-tier firm. I was holidaying in Vienna on my way to my new life in the Netherlands when everything changed. My flight to Amsterdam was cancelled, then my accommodation booking followed. The pandemic had arrived.
I made a split-second decision to fly back to Australia as international borders closed around me. I'd been preparing for the end of winter in Europe, and I found myself in the thick heat of tropical Darwin, where my parents had lived for 15 years. I was used to grey streets, greyer skies, monochrome clothes, and suddenly I was surrounded by colour. It was everywhere - in the sunsets, the street art and the people.
After years of working in a corporate industry and putting my painting to the side, I finally had time to dedicate to my art. I found inspiration in the croton shrubs planted in my mother's garden, in the bromeliads of the Darwin Botanic Gardens and in the cycad husks I stumbled upon while hiking in Katherine.
I first met Ukraine-born fashion designer Olga Bryukhovets at the Parap Village Markets. We clicked. I was impressed by her slow-fashion label, Ossom, and her collaboration with the Indigenous art collective, Tiwi Design. We bonded over being women from immigrant backgrounds and our shared love of art. We spoke about working on a project together.
The nation's smallest capital city has a huge creative scene, and I wanted to be a part of it. The collaboration idea was an off-hand comment, a pipe dream, a hopeful suggestion, but Olga and I made it a reality.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.