Free Space Studio
The Free Space Studio is a group of 18 artists with disability, based in Larrakia Country, Darwin and represented by Arts Access Darwin. The group are based at the Mudul-ma Community Arts room at Darwin Community Arts. This diverse group of artists are coming together for the Darwin Street Art Festival to develop a collaborative mural artwork responding to the shared theme of Tidal Reflections. The artists all have very distinctive, personal and highly developed visual languages. There is a beautiful synergy in the designs the artists have created for this project, resulting from the coming together of these 18 artists to collaborate.
Tidal Reflections will see the artists from the Free Space Studio give an exciting new revamp to three picnic benches at windsurfer's corner on the Nightcliff foreshore. The artists have developed designs intended to feel integrated within the tropical, seaside environment of beautiful Larrakia Country; with the designs referencing ocean life, tidal beaches and mangrove habitats.
This new mural artwork for the Darwin Street Art Festival will complement the existing Magical Mangroves artwork by the Free Space Studio artists on the Amenity blocks located along the Nightcliff Foreshore and the first artwork in the Tidal Reflections picnic spot series, created in 2023, and which is located on the Rapid Creek foreshore.
About the Free Space Studio:
The Free Space Studio The Free Space Studio is an inclusive visual arts studio project focused on the development of studio skills for artists with disabilities. Established in 2013 The Free Space Studio houses a collective of 18 visual artists and actively promotes the public recognition of their work by providing an accessible studio space, skills development workshops - and by facilitating exhibition opportunities and other professional practice outcomes, including inclusions in publications, promotional opportunities for member artists, studio residencies and travel opportunities.
The Free Space Studio artists are:
• Tara Darcy (Yolnju/Maningrida)
• Rosita Jabinmarra (Yolnju/Maningrida)
• Annie Moors (Yolnju/Milingimbi)
• John Milikens (Yolnju/Maningrida)
• William Mareko (Torres Strait)
• Warren Garrawitja (Yolnju/Milingimbi)
• Manoli Lafazanis
• Samantha Callaghan
• Leigh Zarimis
• Abigail Marralngurra (Kiyuk)
• Roger Yambeing (Nauiyu)
• Steven Conway
• Angelique Martin
• Donovan Mota (Jawoyn/Torres Strait)
• Mark Cavanagh
• Molly Kroes
• Chiara Gagliardo
• Wendy Lamble
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
This artwork will be titled Tidal Reflections (#2), and has become part of a series of public artworks that are thematically integrated within the natural environment of the foreshore. With the designs referencing the ocean and mangrove habitats. The work includes collaborative artwork with design elements contributed from each artist. Responding to a shared theme and utilising a shared colour pallet, with the artists distinct visual styles coming together to create the overall artwork. This new mural artwork complements the existing Magical Mangroves artwork by the Free Space Studio on the Amenity blocks located along the Nightcliff Foreshore and our first artwork in the Tidal Reflections picnic spot series, which was completed by the Free Space Studio artists in 2023, and is also located on the Rapid Creek foreshore.






