The Brintons design team partnered closely with Waanyi artist, Judy Watson, to translate her artistic vision for the floors of the Thomas Dixon Centre into a custom Axminster masterpiece adorning the foyers, boardrooms and theatre.

Drawing inspiration from the intricate patterns found in nature and the nuanced narratives embedded within Indigenous culture, the collaborative process seamlessly integrated Watson's unique artistic language with Brintons' technical expertise. Boasting iconic Queensland elements from nature, each chosen not only for its beauty, but for its importance to Aboriginal culture and to this place.

“I really wanted to convey a feeling of beauty – of hearts beating, movement and air, light, water and the environment charging up through the soles of visitor’s feet as they move across the space, so they feel energised.”

– Judy Watson

The carpets truly tell a story, featuring images of baler and pipi shells, casuarina branches and bunya leaves fused with ‘listening springs’ and seeds and local bird’s feathers, interwoven with tulle and fabricated feather from the Queensland Ballet costume department.

Watson’s Aboriginal matrilineal family is from Waanyi country in north-west Queensland and says the baler shell is an important object carried along Aboriginal trade routes, while the bunya leaf is iconic to Queensland and is symbolic of the Bunya (Bonyi Bonyi) ceremonial gatherings.