Ros Moriarty

Balarinji’s ethos is design excellence and deepening the understanding of Aboriginal Australia for major art and design projects nationally and internationally. Its work spans urban regeneration, infrastructure, precinct planning, branding campaigns, public art and curatorial, workplace interiors and digital. 

Based in Sydney and working nationally, Balarinji was founded in 1983 by its Chair and Cultural Director, Yanyuwa man John Moriarty and Managing Director and Creative Executive, Ros Moriarty. As dual inductees of the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame, the Australian Graphic Design Association Hall of Fame and 2021 winners of The Australian Design Prize, its founders are recognised for their design excellence and unparalleled contribution to building bridges of best practice between Aboriginal communities, business and the broader community. 

Balarinji is known for its many iconic and nation-building design projects, including the Balarinji-Qantas Flying Art Series, featuring five aircraft with Aboriginal artwork livery between 1984 and 2018, as well as the Rio 2016 Paralympics Australian uniforms, the 2000 Walk for Reconciliation official poster, and many more.

Many of its projects are award-winning, including the Aboriginal public art installation for Burwood Brickworks Shopping Centre which won the coveted Architectural Design Urban Design and Public Spaces category in the 2020 Good Design Awards.

Continuing its founders’ commitment to Indigenous Australia, Balarinji has an affiliated organisation for good, the Moriarty Foundation. Its Indigenous-led solutions radically shift intergenerational disadvantaged and enable Aboriginal families and communities to unlock the potential of their children.