The Nambucca Heads artist behind the stunning artwork in the living and dining room created by Deb and Andy Saunders on The Block said the response since the televised room reveal last Sunday has been overwhelming.
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"It's been crazy. People are saying it's magnificent and they're in awe of it and they just have to have it and have absolutely fallen in love with it," said Melissa Greenwood from Miimi and Jiinda, an art business she runs with her mum, Lauren Jarrett.
"Our Instagram page @miimiandjiinda had 5,000 more followers overnight and on the website (miimiandjiinda.com) we had heaps of orders coming through. We're still trying to respond to everyone."
Deb and Andy were looking for an indigenous artwork to be the "hero" of their room and it was store manager of The Block Pop Up Shop Harrie Colella who introduced Deb to their work from an Instagram page she had been following.
Deb liked what she saw. "There was one in particular which was a lot smaller version like the one on The Block. She wanted the colours to be slightly different."
Melissa, from the Gumbaynggirr nation, said she couldn't believe it when they received the call telling them Deb and Andy wanted to commission a piece.
"It's just my mum and I and this little business. We'd only had Instagram for a few months at that time and it was so new with the business and we were still working things out. To get that was so exciting. We said no problem."
The brief was to create a 2.5m x 1.8m work in one week. "We've had never done a painting that size in our life and I didn't even know if it was possible, but we had to say yes, because you wouldn't want to turn down an opportunity like that."
At the time of the commission, Melissa was living in Melbourne and her mum had moved down to help with her newborn son (not long after they moved home to country relocated to Nambucca Heads). "There's nothing better then painting country on country," Melissa said.
They moved all the couches out of the loungeroom and lay the canvas on the floor and painted for 10 hours a day for three days straight. Then the work needed to be framed (raw oak timber was used) and shipped into The Block.
"It was an incredible feeling when we dropped it off. Seeing the look on their faces when they received it was something I'll never forget."
Melissa said the painting was fitting for the living and dining space. "The circle is the meeting place in the middle, a place of connection where everyone can come to meet and share food, stories and culture. The lines are the pathways, everyone's journey in life. The bigger circles are neighbouring tribes and groups of people and everyone comes together in the middle to meet, connect and share.
"It's an incredible feeling to have our art and culture appreciated and acknowledged, shared and celebrated," she said.
"It now seems to be the time for indigenous artists to be rising up and shining."
Melissa has spent her whole life watching her mum painting and weaving and she dabbled in it herself over the years under her mum's encouragement but it wasn't until her mum moved down to help her raise her son four years ago (her partner works six days a week) that she became immersed in art herself and hasn't stopped painting since.
Melissa completed her Bachelor of Justice Studies in criminology at QUT in Brisbane, her Diploma in Aboriginal and TSI studies at Kangaroo Point Tafe and her Certificate in Small Business Management at RMIT Melbourne.
She has worked in indigenous affairs (her main focus is supporting indigenous youth) since, and is currently the national projects manager for Culture is Life.
"When mum came down to Melbourne we started painting and weaving together."
It was Melissa who suggested they start a business together, with the aim of getting exposure for her mum's art and to build her self esteem and give her purpose.
"It's just taken off."
Their business name, Miimi and Jiinda, represents her family's matriarchal line. "My nanny and my great grandmother going along the matriarchal line and their ancestors."
Melissa's grandmother "Nanna Etti" was the oldest Gumbaynggirr woman left in Nambucca Heads before she passed, and had 14 children, many of whom were taken by welfare as part of the Stolen Generation.
Melissa said she feels a strong sense of spiritual connection to the matriarchs when she's painting.
"It's such an honour to be sharing our culture. I feel them encouraging us and being so proud of us."
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