Credit Geraldton Guardian for banner image
Its been awhile since Tahira Kelly shared her story with us, and Platform Stories is delighted to share with you just how busy and creative this young Yamatji woman has been since we first spoke with her in 2021.
Tahira Kelly is a 26-year-old Aboriginal woman with cerebral palsy. Born in Katherine, Northern Territory Tahira moved to Geraldton in the Midwest of Western Australia at the age of 2 where she has lived ever since.
Since we last met with Tahira, she has been working hard on her goals, and making a space for herself in the local art community and her creativity has been rewarded.
In 2021, Tahira was one of 17 artists chosen to help decorate the bollards around Geraldton’s CBD. Her artwork, titled Fairy Floss Turtle, was inspired by her love of animals and interest in impactful colour. “I knew pink would stand out,” she said, describing her design, which features on several bollards around town. Sea creatures, and local icons feature in Tahiras work, and her love of colour is evident.
This was all the impetus she needed to push her creativity into the next level. Her artwork has evolved and she is now not only paints but has explored working with recycled cray pot ropes to make mats, paints pots for plants, and a range of cups, bags, drink coolers and a range of other items. Her artwork has found international homes with many piece’s finding their way into homes across the world as she sells her work to tourists who find her each Sunday selling her work at the Platform Markets in Geraldton.
She has been commissioned to design shirts for a local Wheelchair basketball competition in which she is a passionate competitor and now has her own social media channels and business card.
I was thrilled when Tahira created a design to represent Platform Stories and the story of women with disabilities sharing with each other into the design. Tahira also incorporated my love of purple!!. It really is so special to me and I love that Platform Stories will always have this connection to both Tahira and this Yamatji country we are so lucky to live on.
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Tahira’s goals of independent living and pursuing her passions are also in full force. When she is not busy creating art, she is playing wheelchair basketball, potting her plants, cycling and getting out and about in her community.
We are so proud of her achievements.
You can follow her at creative__minds_tahira
@tahiracreativemind9221
@Creative__minds_tahira
