Isis Ronan - February 2021 Artist of the Month
Our February Artist of the Month, is graphic designer and artist Isis Ronan. As a new resident to Griffith, Isis has already established a foothold in the local art scene, bringing art to wider audiences through community-led programming via her alter ego Succa Mum.
During highschool Isis had her heart set on being an art teacher, but ended up following a different path, studying graphic design at university: “My graphic design teacher said I wasn’t suited to be a graphic designer. He thought that my thinking was too outside of the box! So he recommended this theatre course. My earliest creative inspiration was as a toddler and watching Chinese Opera. My mum would always find me there by myself watching Chinese Opera probably on SBS. I was obsessed with it, and I wonder if that is why I got into theatre.” Isis went on to study Theatre Production at the Design Centre for four years, learning set building and costume design. Ironically, upon graduation she was hired as a graphic designer in Sydney working with brands such as Diva and Bras N Things, designing their window displays. Window dressing harmoniously brought her two fields of expertise together and was the favourite element of this role.
After 10 years of living in Sydney, Isis and her partner left the rat-race and decided to move to regional NSW for their son’s health. Upon moving to Griffith, they fell in love with the city and knew they would lay down permanent roots the first week of their tree change: “We’re actually in paradise.”
Isis saw the 2020 lockdown as a chance to work on personal creative projects, to volunteer her expertise and give back to the wider community, all of which resulted in Succa Mum. Through Succa Mum, Isis provides a vibrant and welcoming entry point for those wishing to dip their brush in the world of art for the first time. Creating new spaces of exploration, Isis’ projects are varied but always accessible and for people of all levels of exposure to the arts.
Isis greatly values the volunteers who helped her during her formative years as a budding artist, and actively pays it forward via Succa Mum: “I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney and never went to an art gallery. A lot of grants were given to my school leading me to be sent on painting and drawing classes. All of my opportunities and how I know about art, I definitely got through volunteer programs and things like that. Succa Mum is kind of about that – about me now giving people the same opportunities I got, and making art accessible to everybody. Succa mum is definitely community-led. I definitely don’t see it as a business. I see it more as a community service. I go where people lead me.”
Isis continues: “I think volunteering is really important because I remember a teacher sending me to a painting class and it was my first time going into the city, it was my first time really learning about art. Sometimes you just need people to give you that opportunity and then someone sees potential in you and they definitely push it. I tried to drop out of art in year 10, and my teacher said to me you can not show up to any class, but you’re not leaving my class, you’re going to be on the roll… So art teachers and all of these influences have been really, really important. At that stage in my life I hated school, I wanted to drop out of high school but art is the thing that’s kept me going this whole time”
Isis finds art to be a form of meditation.
On the origins of her community focus, Isis recalls her experience overseas: “Three years ago I went to Vietnam and got married to my husband in my parent’s village. My parents were refugees from Cambodia, and they came over to Vietnam. The government gave them little plots of land in that village. My Dad’s family were blacksmiths so they made tools and gave them to all the other families and they built bamboo houses. So my Dad’s family wasn’t just like WE’VE got tools and WE’LL build OUR house and you guys can just do whatever you need to do. Vietnam and especially my parents village is very community orientated, you can see people taking care of other people’s kids while one person is working. You can be at the hair salon but then the café will bring your food from across the road and everyone’s friendly. I went there three years ago, then I had a baby, then I moved to Griffith, then COVID-19 happened. So all of these things really humbled me. We have a chance to start again and do it right.”
After the Ronan families’ move to Griffith last December, Lisa Taliano was one of the first creative contacts Isis made in the local community. Lisa welcomed her into her Greengecko Art Studio and a partnership formed where Isis was offered to paint a mural. During the seven weeks Isis worked on the mural she met many locals and creatives such as Di Tarr. Isis originally set out to steer her emerging arts practice during 2020 towards exhibiting, however her experience working on the public mural at Greengecko made her reassess how she relates to art: “When I did the mural at Greengecko, I met all these people who were coming into the carpark and I think from that, it really changed my views and inspirations for everything. It made me go ‘Why do I paint alone in my room at home when everyones asleep? I should do stuff with the community. I actually reached out to a lot of people and that’s how these things happened.”
Elevated from the experience, Isis decided to pursue more community projects: “I talked to the community centre about hiring a room and it ended up being this whole conversation about, where I’ve been, what I’m doing, what I want to do and then we came up with the Uplift Project. When I pitched that, they were all for it.” The Uplift Project was a way for the community to come together share their stories. Feather templates were decorated by 1,050 people which became an interactive mural that was displayed to the public from Christmas to New Years. Isis noted a coming together of the community throughout the development of the project.
Isis and Dizzy stand before The Uplift Project which was displayed at Griffith Central.
“It was really nice because I did open studios. People would come with their kids, I’d say how long have you lived in Griffith? I’d get to know everyone who came in. They shared their stories. It was really important for me because I didn’t know my parent’s story of how they arrived in Australia.”
Keeping the momentum going on the back of the successful uplift project, Isis started a new collaborative mural at Griffith City Library with local children, as a way to give them an extra activity during school holidays. The project focused on the children’s connection with Griffith and exploring their sense of place: “I think its really important for people to love where they’re from. There’s a lot of people that leave Griffith and possibly don’t want to come back. I’m interested in knowing why. I realise It starts with your experiences here as a child. I had pictures of Griffith and I asked them, have you been to these places? Do you have memories from these places? It was really nice to hear these stories. I think it’s something that is really nice for everyone to see and just remind them when were looking at it to see Griffith through the eyes of children. As a teenager how do you feel? As an adult how do you feel? Do you still love your town? To raise community-minded children is very important.”
‘We Love Griffith’ collaborative mural project at Griffith City Library.
Isis sees the potential in all people to be involved in the arts, and to get involved in their community significant ways: “There’s a unique thing, maybe in rural towns but definitely in Griffith, where people are just really beautiful and I think they’re just waiting to be approached to do something.” Identifying a gap in the local creative community, Isis developed her now sell-out ‘Paint & Sips’. Her paint and sips are tailored to art beginners with subject matter her students would enjoy: “I like the challenge of a paint and sip, because I sit there and I think if you’ve never painted before, how can I teach you how to do it in three hours?” The Paint & Sips at the Griffith Leagues Club have been so well received that she has had to make loyalty cards for the budding artists who have returned five times. Isis reflects on the positive outcomes: “We live in a really anxious time and people need these outlets. So instead of binge-watching Netflix I’m giving people that opportunity to just paint. A lot of people that come out of Paint & Sip then go and buy some paint and art books, and that’s what I want. I like that it doesn’t matter who you are – you’re going to be able to create something and maybe that is going to change your path and what you do. Where would I be if nobody showed me that it really was an option?”
Succa Mum ‘Paint & Sip’ workshops at the Griffith Leagues Club.
Isis isn’t slowing down in 2021, her future plans and dreams include working in womens refuges, seniors homes and doing youth work. One upcoming project will see Isis running open studios in various spaces around Griffith where anyone can bring their materials and get creative. Isis is also seeking Expressions of Interest for her new Mums & Bubs Art Club, a safe space for guided play, exploring creativity together with activities such as making cardboard cubby houses, cacti and upcycled toys. To find out more about these upcoming activities, and to make sure you don’t miss out on tickets, follow Succa Mum on Facebook and Instagram.
In the spirit of her work, Isis would love the Riverina arts scene be more connected and develop further: “I’m making real genuine connections with people who want to see change in the community. There’s a lot to do. I don’t see any of it stopping.”
Story by Camille Whitehead, Wednesday 17th February 2021.
