Jasmin Miikika Craciun channels her creative energy and individuality through many different art and expression forms, with her artwork most recently featured in The Big Picture Fest.
Graphic designer, textile designer, illustrator, animator, artist and knitter, Craciun draws inspiration from her indigenous heritage and focuses on designs that tell stories and inspire.
“I am from the Barkindji and Malyangapa people of far western NSW and grew up in Newcastle, I finished university in 2018, and work a lot with kids which is a big passion of mine,” Craciun said.
“I want to be able to eventually help kids with my art and introduce them to multimedia and digital art forms.
“Giving kids access to digital art opportunity, especially out in rural communities, is something I would love to be able to do in the future.”
In early October 2020, Craciun painted a mural in The Big Picture Fest, which can now be found near King and Brown street.
“I was working alongside an architecture team at the university, and we decided the mural needed to be about women and children, so we got some kids involved and asked them to draw pictures of their families and pets,” Craciun said.
“They drew these beautiful illustrations of what family meant to them, and they put in so much detail, so I decided to incorporate my own family into the mural.”
Craciun said preschools had reached out to her excited that a student’s art was displayed on a Newcastle wall.
“Some preschools have even asked if they could use aspects of the work within their schools, which is just so special,” she said.
“I’m in a profession that has the ability to inspire other people, which is exactly what I want, and why I do it.”
The Big Picture Fest isn’t the first time that Craciun’s work has been featured within the area of Newcastle, with her art displayed on depots, information centres, community facilities and street flags.
“In my third year of university, I did my work placement with the Newcastle council where they gave me the job of creating the 2018 Naidoc street flags,” she said.
“That was huge for me, at the time I hadn’t worked on any graphic design jobs, so I was so grateful that they had given me the opportunity to create these important and inspirational Aboriginal flags around my city.”
Along with her many other talents, Craciun plans to keep learning and growing as an artist with her sights set on fine-tuning her photography and videography skills.
“Getting better at photography and video is something I’m really interested in because I think that’s such an important and really personal way of storytelling,” Craciun said.
“I really do try and have a go at everything, the biggest thing for me growing up was if I really liked something I would give it my absolute all.
“But, I also need to remind myself that its okay to not do anything sometimes.”
Craciun said it was important to reset, step back from her work and give herself a break from time to time.
“I’m such a fiddler, if I did sit down and even just watch TV, I feel guilty if I don’t have something in my hands, and I think that’s why I enjoy knitting because it’s not necessarily work-related, but it’s still that fiddly thing,” she said.
“I’ve made my whole life about creating things, but I think its nice to pause for a moment, and go to the beach or go for a walk and just be present.
“Knowing when to stop is the best way to balance , it’s great to step back and let my mind rest, its that time away that brings inspiration.”
Hayley McMahon