Desert-Rain Magpie
Image of Desert-Rain by photographer Beth Thompson 2026
Desert-Rain Magpie is a Nyoongar woman from Western Australia living on Bullongin Country (Pimpama) on the Gold Coast. An emerging artist and established weaver. Her multidisciplinary practice spans ceramics, jewellery, textiles and fashion which are rooted in the use of native plants and the ways they connect us to place and community. Desert-Rain holds a Bachelor of Indigenous Studies in Trauma and Healing and uses her art to create culturally safe spaces for connection and storytelling, with a focus on strengthening cultural identity.
Tell us about the Aqua Limina commission:
The work I am creating for Aqua Limina was inspired by a core memory from eight years ago. My then two year old son and I were helping alongside Kombumerri Indigenous Rangers and local Landcare staff planting Lomandra along the banks of Guanaba Creek as a natural cane toad deterrent. Now ten years old, whenever we return to the Indigenous Protected Area at Guanaba he goes down to the banks of the creek to find the Lomandra that he helped plant. He feels that relationship between himself and the creek there. Where we live in Pimpama, Council have also planted lots of Lomandra here too, part of a flood mitigation strategy. So here where we live he also has a relationship with Lomandra, he knows about its traditional cultural usage, but also its contemporary usage in landscaping and also as a fibre for use in weaving. For him, Lomandra is a thread of connection to those creek banks in Guanaba, no matter where he is on the Gold Coast.
Why are you a member of CreativeS Inc?
I was introduced to GC Creatives by Karleen and Kuweni and felt an instant connection in our shared interests in art and the natural world. It is important for artists to consider their impact on the environment and in my opinion, where we live and work should shape the kind of art we make and the materials we use to create it, always being mindful of the life-cycle of our creations. Meeting the other artists involved in the upcoming Aqua Limina exhibition has been a great experience hearing about everyone’s different art practices and I can’t wait to see the results in April.
Do you have any upcoming or current creative projects?
I am weaving a work relating to the waterways for Aqua Limina.
I am also collaborating with other Indigenous artists to create our debut fashion collection which will be on the runway at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in July this year – Deadly Creative Sistas.
