Expression of Interest: Commissioned Artwork for the AAP Reflect RAP

Calling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists & Designers

Introduction

The Australasian Association of Philosophy (AAP) is seeking an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist(s) or designer(s) to create commissioned artwork as part of our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) - a formal commitment to reconciliation and deepening the AAP’s relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. The AAP is the peak charity for the promotion of philosophical research, education and scholarship in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand & Singapore. 

We are inviting artwork that will sit in dialogue with the AAP’s owl motif and existing visual identity. The owl motif, centred on the Owl of Minerva, draws on Ancient Greek traditions of philosophy and wisdom. Through this project, we invite an artist(s) to bring that symbol into dialogue with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and to explore what wisdom might look like when grounded in Country, Kinship, and Community. 

The commissioned artwork will serve as a visual expression of the AAP’s commitment to relationships, respect, and opportunities, and of reconciliation and renewal within philosophy.

A Reflect RAP is the first stage in Reconciliation Australia's RAP framework. It is a formal commitment by an organisation to reflect on its current relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to lay the groundwork for meaningful reconciliation. The AAP's Reflect RAP will be submitted to Reconciliation Australia for approval and will set out the AAP's commitments to Relationships, Respect, and Opportunities.

Budget and Timeline

Budget: up to $5,000 (inclusive of artist fee and licensing).

EOI submissions close: Tuesday 4 August 2026

Selection confirmed: Wednesday 26 August 2026

Design completion: Early November 2026

Artwork presentation: July 2027 at the AAP Annual Conference

Who We’re Looking For

We invite applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists or designers who:

Have experience in graphic design, visual identity, or contemporary art;

Work with decolonial, critical, or reflective approaches to art and design;

Are interested in creating work that engages with ideas of philosophy, knowledge, and reconciliation;

Can provide digital artwork suitable for use across print and online formats.

Conceptual Direction

We invite creative and philosophical responses that engage with its owl motif and existing visual identity.

The Working Group has discussed several potential directions and symbolic ideas that may inform the design:

The Owl

Representing both the Western philosophical tradition and, in some Aboriginal kinship systems, dual aspects of the cosmos;

a symbol that bridges worlds of thought.

The Fern

Symbolising growth, renewal, and the unfolding of philosophical transformation.

Challenging Stereotypes

Reflecting decolonial and critical approaches that question the boundaries of philosophy and representation.

Dialogue of knowledge systems

Bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous philosophies in conversation without subsuming one under the other.

These are not prescriptive themes. Artists are encouraged to interpret, reshape or expand them through their own creative and cultural frameworks. The AAP wishes to leave substantial creative agency with the selected artist or designer. 

Purpose and Use

The commissioned artwork will be a central visual element of the AAP's Reflect RAP document.

The RAP artwork serves an important function within a Reflect RAP: it gives visual expression to an organisation's reconciliation commitments and is a key part of how those commitments are presented to Reconciliation Australia and to the public.

For the AAP, it will do something more - symbolising a broader philosophical and cultural conversation and inviting reflection on what philosophy looks like when multiple traditions of knowledge are held in conversation. 

The Commissioned Artwork Will:

• Visually represent the AAP’s Reflect RAP and its commitment to reconciliation;
• Be featured in the AAP's Reflect RAP document, submitted to Reconciliation Australia for approval;
• Be integrated into AAP communications and materials — including the website, conference programs and publications in ways that reflect its relationship to the AAP's existing visual identity;
• Be presented at the 2027 AAP Annual Conference, marking the first six months of the RAP's implementation.

The artwork is intended to sit in dialogue with the AAP’s owl motif and existing visual identity, symbolising a broader philosophical and cultural conversation and inviting reflection on what philosophy looks like when multiple traditions of knowledge are held in conversation.

Licensing and Ownership

The AAP is committed to ethical and culturally respectful commissioning practices.

The successful artist will:

• Retain ownership and copyright of their work;
• Have their moral rights recognised and respected in all uses of the work;
• Grant the AAP a license to use artwork across agreed contexts and media;
• Be acknowledged wherever the artwork is displayed, where practical and appropriate.

Licensing arrangements will be developed collaboratively to ensure ongoing recognition, clarity of use and fair compensation. This will include the use of the artwork in the RAP document submitted to Reconciliation Australia and in associated public communications.

How to Apply

Please submit:

1. A short statement (max 300 words) outlining your concept and how it might respond to the AAP’s RAP themes of Relationships, Respect, Opportunities.
2. Up to 5 examples of previous work - portfolio link.
3. A short artist bio, including Country.
4. A brief outline of your fee or licensing proposal.

Submit your EOI HERE by Tuesday 4th August.

Selection Process

Submissions will be reviewed by members of the AAP RAP Working Group, with majority representation from Aboriginal members.

Selection will be based on:

• Alignment with the RAP themes and intent;
• Artistic and conceptual merit;
• Cultural respect and integrity;
• Practical suitability for digital and print use.

Shortlisted artists will be invited to meet with members of the AAP RAP Working Group to discuss their concept and approach before a final decision is made.

Download Flyer HERE