Kaanju, Kuku Ya’u and Girramay artist Emma Hollingsworth (aka Mulganai) is known for her bright artworks that are often filled with intricate designs and bursts of pink, orange and blue. The super-creative lass isn’t afraid of experimenting, and has turned her lovely pieces into prints, puzzles and all kinds of merch. We recently caught up with Emma to chat about her new colouring book, Mulganai, which aims to share First Nations stories with Indigenous peoples and allies alike. Read the chinwag below, and keep scrolling to find some ace pages from the book for you to download, print and colour in.Where were you born and where do you live now? I was born in Naarm but I now live and operate my business in Meanjin.

How does where you live affect your art? The beauty of being a part of the oldest continuous culture in the world is that no matter where I go, I will always be connected to my culture, Country and my people. I carry the memories and emotions of my story and my culture with me always, so I can tell my story and always be inspired.

What kind of mediums do you use? I mostly create artworks using acrylic paint on canvas, but occasionally I will experiment and create other things. Using special oil pastels and paint markers is one of my favourite things to do. Every Christmas I create hand-painted baubles, and I am also dabbling in sculpture – it’s something I definitely want to explore more. 

When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist? I’ve wanted to be an artist since I was a little girl. I was absolutely fascinated with the world around me and I loved creating and portraying my world through art. My mum always says I was creating before I could talk, and I was drawing on everything I could get my hands on, including the walls! Why did you decide to create your own colouring book? I had previously created colouring pages and shared them for free on my website, so a colouring book felt like the natural next step. I wanted to create a premium book full of lots of artworks that people – whether First Nation or non-First Nation – could enjoy. It’s a beautiful way of connecting people to my culture and my story, and they can learn things that they may not have been learnt without the book. 

What did the process of designing the book involve? It involved many, many hours spent on my couch, with a coffee in hand and my face buried in my iPad. Sometimes I would take the iPad with me when I went places, just in case I felt inspired by something. It was a challenge to stay disciplined and create 45 artworks, but it was such a good way to kick-start my creative juices and it all paid off in the end. I couldn’t have done it without Bianca from Thames & Hudson, who supported me throughout the entire process, kept me in check and encouraged me. 

Which page from the book is your favourite? Ahh, I have so many favourites! This is a really hard choice, but I think one of my favourites is Willy Wagtail. Those birds are so cute and they remind me of my childhood. Or, Journey to Lockhart, because it reminds me of my home and how healing it is. 

What are you working on next? I have just released my first 100 per cent self-produced and owned puzzle, so I am celebrating that release and seeing where that takes me. Being able to produce and fund it on my own was a massive milestone for me and I’m so proud of it. I also have a couple projects coming up in the future, but I have to stay tight-lipped for now. You will just have to stay tuned for more! 

Download some pages from Mulganai:
Colouring page 1
Colouring page 2
Colouring page 3
Colouring page 4

Mulganai by Emma Hollingsworth is published by Thames & Hudson Australia and is available now for $24.99. Nab a copy here.