Artist Profile: Kiya Watt

In the tapestry of Australia's rich Indigenous culture, art has always served as a channel of communication, combining generations of ancestral knowledge into narratives. Kiya Watt, a celebrated contemporary Indigenous artist, whose work appears on a number of BW Tribal’s designs, is a testament to this. With her art rooted in the history of her people, Kiya is helping convey the story of the Menang people to a broader audience.

Hailing from Kinjarling/Albany, Western Australia, the proud Menang/Gnudju woman draws spiritual and artistic inspiration from her ancestral land, Boodjah. As a mother and dedicated artist, she discovered her passion for art during a NAIDOC event for her twin sons and has since soared as a committed and nationally recognised visual artist.


Image: Kiya Watt with the Indigenous doll she co-created for Playschool

Kiya's artistic journey spans murals, prints, and most notably, co-creating the first-ever Indigenous doll on Playschool - aptly named the 'Kiya Doll'. On top of all this, Kiya has added another medium to her repertoire, releasing two lines of earrings.

Kiya's original line of earrings were inspired by her people's creation stories, feature animals unique to the Menang Boodjah— highlighting the intricate bond between indigenous communities and the land in which they've thrived for more than 60,000 years. Snake, dolphin, blue-tongue lizard and more; each piece holds a special connection to Country. The inspiration behind Kiya's jewellery is her Nan, who taught her the Noongar language.


Image: Marie Clare

Kiya's latest line of earrings is a limited edition collaboration with Haus of Dizzy using mirrored acrylic discs that have been engraved with Kiya's artworks.


Image: Haus of Dizzy