Mikaela Miller
Image source Mikaela Miller
Mikaela Miller is a young Western Australian artist, working out of a studio at Goolugatup Heathcote. Trained in both design and community development, she works as a public artist, studio painter, printmaker, digital artist and arts facilitator. Her practice is driven by a keen interest in the natural world. How it connects us to each other and our surroundings. The evolution of landscapes, biodiversity and the significance of plant species to place or local narratives. The details, growth and function of plants and all of their parts.
Mikaela’s work has evolved through observing unique features of specific species and exaggerating these through the manipulation of line. These ‘signature florals’ can be found painted onto walls across metro and regional WA, with a catalogue of over 35 public art commissions. Including murals for No More Blank Walls; Kalgoorlie HeARTwalk and the Collie Mural Trail, some of WA’s most recent, leading street art trails and festivals.
Currently her work is evolving to focus in further on specific moments in nature that capture her attention. Combining her love for line with texture and pattern. Layering specific details from a landscape to create forms and surfaces.
Her obsession with flowers runs back to her childhood - growing up in her Grandparents’ prize-winning garden. She would watch her Pop arrange bouquets and vases for display.- witnessing how their yard full of blooms impacted the wider community. These flowers permeated simple human interactions, facilitating generosity, reflection, joy and connection.
Her dedication to investigating species that are specific to each work’s locale is how she begins trying to understand a place. Just like her Grandparents’ garden - flora can be its own landmark. The variation of species across landscapes has been integral to way-finding, or understanding the significance of a place since the beginning of human intelligence. She also feels it’s important to explore a place, not only for what it is now but for what it once was and what it could be (or could have been).
Mikaela has exhibited in an array of group shows across Perth (Boorloo), Fremantle (Walyallup), Kalgoorlie, Dwellingup and Collie. She also had a small solo exhibition in 2019. This same year, her interview with Gardening Australia was televised on the National ABC Television Network. In 2021 Vicinity Shopping Centres commissioned a festive gift wrap artwork, which was rolled out across major shopping centres in WA and South Australia, and will be distributed nationwide come Christmas 2022.
Mikaela is part of the Blankwalls artist family and in 2021 became a full member of the Swan River Print Studio.
Visit: mikaelamiller.com
