Mother Lore has evolved from an initial commission brief by the Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG) for a designed cultural creative work. The brief outlined the desire for a piece that would serve as a meaningful symbol of engagement and connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across DJAG’s internal and external communications.

The core challenge was to capture the depth and breadth of the client’s brief to form a cohesive, artist-ready creative outline that accurately and respectfully represents the diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland, while reflecting the departmental objectives and its cradle-to-grave service. The artwork also needed to be adaptable across a wide range of media, from print collateral to digital platforms, and suitable for use in both formal internal and public-facing communications.

IM facilitated a comprehensive community codesign process to craft the narrative of the piece. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island staff and a variety of community members from across Queensland were invited to partake in the series of workshops and sharing circles. This framed the brief and ensured that the embodied design met the cultural, technical, and narrative requirements to tell the story past, present and future of the Department. The commission process involved a close collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists to successfully bring a complex visual story to life; a symbolic ecosystem transitioning from a darker grey past (truth-telling) to a vibrant and hopeful future. The composition needed to encompass both a landscape and a seascape, with a central, tree-like element bridging the two environments. The final Design Delivery included the provision of elements of and the overall artwork in formats adaptable across all required media, satisfying both creative and technical specifications.

The project successfully delivered a unique, culturally significant embodied design that serves as a visual expression of the Department of Justice’s commitment to reconciliation and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. This outcome provided a tangible cultural asset, a high-quality, story-rich image suitable for ongoing use in communications and branding. Ultimately, the project demonstrated IM’s capability to manage complex government briefs that required sensitive artistic and cultural collaboration, delivering a piece that embodies both a layered cultural narrative and departmental purpose.