WAARI is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice explores the deep interconnections between land, language, and body. Guided by strong cultural ties, he is a proud descendant of the Waanyi and Kalkutungu peoples of so-called Australia, and the Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Manu, and Te Ātiawa iwi of Taranaki, Aotearoa (so-called New Zealand). WAARI’s work weaves together these ancestral bloodlines, grounded in the lived experience of being Blak in places shaped by ongoing colonial presence. Drawing from both Indigenous worlds, his practice is a space for exploring identity, resistance, and cultural continuance. He has created across many lands including Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country (Naarm), Gimuy Walubara Yidi (Cairns), Kalkutungu Country (Cloncurry, Mount Isa), and Arrernte Country (Alice Springs).
MUKI follows the cycles of life - birth, coming of age, death and rebirth - as they connect to cycles of family across generations and land across seasons.In 2024, WAARI released MUKI, drawing on memory, lived experience, and futurity. The EP has been praised for its raw emotion, cultural depth, and distinctive sound, marking WAARI as an important new voice in contemporary Blak music.
‘WILT’ visualiser
‘ONE’ official video
Up For It: Interview with WAARI (Independent Artist of the Week)
Banksia RRR: WAARI on new single WILT and EP MUKI
*listen to muki here
November 22, 2025 | Strawberry Fields Festival, Tocumwul (Yorta Yorta)
My printmaking practice is rooted in memory, resistance, and deep cultural connection, honouring the stories that live on through Country, body, and language. Carving in wood and lino allows me to move slowly and intentionally, guided by the rhythm of ink, paper, and the teachings passed down to me.
*view prints here