“Be bold, be brave, be you.”
They are the six words that guide Beaudesert artist Waylene Currie.
As the creative force behind many First Nations artworks throughout Beaudesert and the surrounding region, Waylene believes art is about more than creativity – it is about connection, culture and storytelling.
Proud of her Mununjali, Wangerriburra and Migunberri heritage, she hopes her work encourages others to embrace their identity.
“I’m the bridge between both worlds where I incorporate cultural essence and other people’s stories into one so that they have a connection to it too,” she said.
“It’s about being who you are and true to yourself…and understanding that everyone is different.”
Beaudesert as her anchor
Waylene’s childhood was anything but settled.
She was born in Brisbane and moved frequently with her family across Australia before eventually returning to Beaudesert, where much of her extended family had always lived.
Family visits to Beaudesert became permanent when she made the town her home in 2012.
Her earliest memory of the town is swimming in the CBD fountain outside the old KFC on William Street (now home to Kroesen & Co. Lawyers) when she was five years old.
“Beaudesert has always been the anchor point of home – it’s where my spirit feels most settled,” Waylene said.
“Moving around a lot as a child, I came to understand different environments and what I needed, and Beaudesert always seemed to be my safe place.”
Finding her place
A turning point came shortly after settling in Beaudesert when Mununjali Housing & Development Company offered Waylene the opportunity to volunteer.
Six months later, she began a traineeship and remained with the organisation for a decade before launching her own business WRLC Arts in 2022.
During that time, she welcomed her three daughters – Tierahni, Zahra and Amoura – and realised Beaudesert had become the longest place she had ever lived.
“It gave me a sense of wanting to give them more of a stable life. Even the thought of moving outside of town would just be no,” Waylene said.
Art and identity
Her passion for art began unexpectedly in year 9 while painting a ceramic cup at school.
When the class ended, Waylene was told to leave the project unfinished and move on to her next lesson.
Instead, she stayed behind, determined to complete it.
“Being able to finish it kind of ignited that fire of art for me,” she said.
Today, her artwork can be seen across Queensland on school uniforms, public signage, book illustrations and in community spaces.
Closer to home, her work features at local schools, Jubilee Park and several public spaces throughout Beaudesert.
When she’s not working, she’s often out on Country with a camera in hand, finding inspiration in the natural world for her next creative journey.
For Waylene, however, the title of ‘artist’ has never felt quite right.
“We don’t actually call ourselves artists,” she said.
“We’re storytellers.”
