Page 28 - Tropic Magazine Issue 11

Industry
Profile
Artist and Designer
Age
Grace 29

Lillian Lee

Designer. Mentor. Curator. Artist. Grace
Lillian Lee is all of these things and more.
Drawing inspiration from her Indigenous
heritage, Grace has forged a national profile
via colourful, joyful collaborations with Cape
York and Torres Strait communities and art
centres, along with her work combining
elements of fashion, textiles, traditional
Threadless Films Age weaving and post-modern art. Most
Glenn 30 recently, Grace curated a fashion
performance for the Commonwealth Games
called INTERTWINED, featuring 20
Saggers Indigenous fashion models in a show of
dance, music, art and textiles to celebrate
Torres Strait and Aboriginal culture.

Talent / Creating world-class video projects from his base in
Cairns
Passion / Constant learning and true listening
Tell us about your work
I started to get into film making around 7 years ago, for me it
was the perfect balance of photography, music and storytelling
in the one box. The first 'job' I ever had was to film a friend’s
wedding. I can still remember feeling bad to accept payment
for doing something I really enjoyed. From there it all exploded
and now there’s a full-time team of three. We’ve had the
privilege to work with some amazing clients such as Google,
Virgin Australia, Tourism Australia, Telstra and of course
TropicNow.
What inspires you in your work?
Inspiration is a bit of a mystery but I find it everywhere,
especially in nature… which is why I love living in Cairns. I'm
also really obsessed with light, shapes and sounds. I only wish
I had more spare time to turn these inspirations into
something.
Is there a supportive culture of young people in Cairns?
I think more than ever. It’s so easy with Instagram and
Facebook to become part of a supportive culture in Cairns.
Some of the best film content I have created has been in
collaboration with other artists over Instagram. There’s
cultural groups for everything. Last week I discovered there’s
a local group that meets and talks about fungus.
What are some of the unique attributes and advantages you
bring to the work you do?
I have a bit of an advantage with my background in music and
audio. I believe music is so much more than the background
noises you hear in a film; it is the flow, structure and rhythm of
the entire film. Another advantage would be that I only shoot
video so I’m constantly refining my skills in that one area.
What do people under 40 have to contribute to the future of
Cairns?
I believe the more that people are active in their communities
the more they have to contribute to the future of Cairns.

XX • tropicnow.com.au