Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this vale contains the name of a person who has died.
Creative Australia and First Nations Arts honour the life of Gunggandji designer, artist and cultural leader, Simone Arnol, whose work embodied a profound commitment to sustainability, cultural integrity and care for Community and Country. Through her practice, she powerfully expressed the truth that “Blak has always been Green,” weaving environmental knowledge and cultural continuity into every aspect of her work.
Born in Gimuy/Cairns on Gimuy Walubara Yidinji and late of Djabuganydji and Yirrganydji Country, Simone was a proud descendant of the Gunggandji Peoples through her father, with Sicilian heritage through her mother. Her connection to family, community and Country was foundational, shaping a practice that was at once deeply personal and collectively resonant. Guided by Elders, children and Traditional Owners throughout her life and career, including her work in law and Native Title, Simone developed into a dynamic, grassroots artist whose work honoured those who came before her while speaking powerfully to the present.
Working across painting, portraiture, photography, textiles, and clothing design, Simone’s practice carried layered narratives of history, resilience and identity. Through deeply personal bodies of work, including those reflecting on her great-grandmother’s experience of removal to Yarrabah, Simone created moving and enduring testaments that connected past, present and future, ensuring these stories were neither diminished nor forgotten.
In addition to maintaining her artistic practice, she simultaneously held multiple roles as both Manager of the Yarrabah Arts & Cultural Precinct and the Menmuny Museum at Yarrabah in Far North Queensland from 2020. Arnol’s expertise across arts administration, cultural practitioner, mentor, and collaborative quiet leadership saw Arnol work alongside and support many local, national and international artists including Aunties Philomena Yeatman, Michelle Yeatman, and others.
In fashion, Simone emerged as a leading voice in First Nations design, known for her elegant, innovative and culturally grounded collections. She was the first First Nations designer to showcase at Australian Eco Fashion Week in Perth in 2017 and was a longstanding contributor to the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s Fashion Performance, which she co-curated between 2018 and 2021 with her partner and collaborator Umpila and Djabuguy/Yirrgay artist, Bernard Singleton.
Arnol’s collaboration with Mylene Holroyd from Pormpuraaw Arts and Culture Centre, saw them win the Inaugural Environmental and Social Contribution Award as part of the National Indigenous Fashion Awards in 2021. Wearable art that they conceived and designed spoke to the importance of environmental stewardship and Caring for Country, through the important process of repurposing and recycling material detritus that would otherwise choke the northern Queensland coastal waterways.
In 2024, her collection Blak always Green - New Fashion Collection by Simone Arnol was supported through Creative Australia’s Flourish: First Nations Fashion and Textiles Fund. Her work consistently brought together contemporary design with deep cultural knowledge, creating garments that spoke with authenticity, strength and purpose.
In recognition of her expertise, innovation and creativity Simone was awarded the Fashion Designer of the Year at the National Indigenous Fashion Awards in 2024. and in the same year, she received the Queensland Regional Art Awards’ Award of Excellence, affirming the significance and impact of her multidisciplinary practice.
Franchesca Cubillo, Executive Director, First Nations Arts and Culture, said:
“Simone was a kind, generous, humble, innovative and remarkable community leader who was instrumental in the advancement of Far North Queensland art and culture, First Nations fashion and textile design. Her work carried deep respect for culture, honouring Ancestral heritage with a real commitment to Elders, Country and community, leaving a legacy that will continue to guide and inspire future generations of First Nations artists and designers.”
Simone Arnol’s passing is a profound loss to her family, community and to the broader Australian arts and fashion sectors. Her work, her stories and her commitment to Country endure.
Vale Simone Arnol
1975 - 2026
