Artist Bio

Kristy Mackay is an illustration artist, designer & storyteller based in Sydney. She cultivates & nurtures a curious mind, is a seeker of the abstract & embracer of the surreal.

Kristy is a lover of the ocean & cheese toasties. You can often find her dreaming with a pencil over a giant cup of tea.

Kristy grew up in & around the Royal National park south of Sydney where she now resides with her young family. Her work is often inspired by moments with her children & their leafy surroundings. Their endless curiosity often lead her down fantastical rabbit holes to explore unknown worlds & Frankenstein absurd ideas. See ‘Platypus Mum’…

 Kristy started her creative career studying Illustration but landed in Interior Design. After trialling a few industries, she discovered a love for the creativity, purpose & pace of retail & hospitality design. For 15 years she has had the privilege of working with brands across the globe delivering award winning environments & creative services.

In recent years she has returned more focus to her art practice. Motherhood resurrected her love of children’s books & visual storytelling, highlighting her innate need to be drawing more often & creating with her hands.

Never without a creative art project or class on the side, Kristy is a life long learner & lover of the arts. Her multidisciplinary design background provides a strong foundation & unique perspective for storytelling in her illustrative work. In 2022, Kristy returned to her Illustration studies & finally completed her Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design & Illustration - twenty years in the making, but better late than never!

She is working on writing & illustrating her first children’s book, selected art prints, paper goods & building a collection for (big & little) kids.

Commissions & brand collaborations are always welcome, so please get in touch!

Our Pillars

  • Kristy’s vision is to spark curiosity, inspire a child-like sense of wonderment in people of all ages & help shape an empathic, kind & humanly connected world where all people feel a sense of belonging. 

  • We exist to illustrate stories that suprise & delight, educate & connect. We prompt deep conversation & promote curious thinking. We are on a mission to empower young minds & champion humanity all while bringing a little magic into the world. Our books, products & brand collaborations aim to leave a legacy that inspires empathy, inclusivity & kindness towards ourselves, others & the world we live in.

  • Curiosity We always question why. Knowledge is our greatest asset.

    Creativity We are makers & creators that stretch our thinking to innovate.

    Collaboration We are adaptable and flexible in our approach.

    Imagination The key to unlocking the unknown, the fantastical & the unseen.

    Intentionality We approach our work with structure. We research, reference & educate ourselves to build on the framework of a core idea.

    Integrity We honour our commitments & persevere to creatively solve problems with integrity & heart.