In July 2023, Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) engaged Saretta Art & Design to create a meaningful and culturally grounded artwork for their MRI facility.
From the beginning, this was a collaborative journey.
We workshopped the vision with the HMRI team, ensuring the artwork reflected their commitment to research, innovation, healing, and community. As part of the creative process, we undertook a tour of Country across the Hunter Region, visiting significant sites and immersing ourselves in the stories, landscape, and spirit of place. This connection to Country became central to the design narrative.
The result was an original artwork that was thoughtfully translated across multiple applications within the MRI environment:
A digital artwork design
A large-scale graphic mural installation
A full MRI machine wrap, transforming the clinical equipment into a calming and culturally rich experience
A custom-designed Skylight feature, extending the artwork overhead to create an immersive healing environment
The MRI suite was officially launched, marking not just the unveiling of a new medical facility, but the introduction of an environment designed to support wellbeing, cultural recognition, and comfort for patients and families.
This project reflects HMRI’s commitment to community, cultural respect, and innovation and demonstrates how Aboriginal art and storytelling can transform clinical spaces into places of connection and healing.
Original Artwork Story
Nakiliko Malang – To See Together
Nakiliko Malang shares the story of the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Imaging Centre and the vital role they play in advancing holistic health care for all. The artwork highlights a journey together, welcoming all in learning and sharing of knowledge, from traditional to the fast advancing health technology of today.
Design symbolism brings an acknowledgement to traditional custodians, celebrating the invaluable understanding of mother earths healing qualities from past, present and into the future. Central to the artwork a large gathering circle is encompassed by an Elders symbol, alongside people symbols. Together these six people within this imagery reflects the six cultural values of Lore, Love, Listen, Look, Learn and Lead and aligned to the centre circle, which depicts an eye and reflective of going into the scanner, uniquely highlighting the Hunter Medical research Institute (HMRI) team and the work they do.
This imagery sits upon the beginning of expanding circles within the artwork, indicating teamwork alongside partners and stakeholders in the Hunter, NSW, across our nation and reaching out into the international health community. The expanding circles continue to flow outwards as a representation of technology, spiritual growth and connection to spirit, each other and country.
Pathways flow outward from the central gathering, depicting songlines connecting communities across the HMRI footprint on country. These pathways share imagery of scans, stepping stones, people symbolism and bush tucker design, intertwined upon the pathway, reflective of working together in this space across a wide range of projects and initiatives.
Sitting upon a backdrop of engraved gathering circles, the artwork speaks to inclusion, unique contribution and a shared vision of health for all. Where we listen, look and learn from our past and grow into a future that embraces the amazing advancements of medical technology as we see together.
Size: 1020(w) x 1020(h) mm
Year: 2025
Medium: Mixed medium on premium stretched canvas with hanging hooks and wire.
Graphic Design Story
“Nakiliko – To See”
Nakiliko celebrates HMRIs (Hunter Medical Research Institute) important role in health within our community. It reflects their footprint on country, bringing an acknowledgment to traditional custodians and celebrates seeing within through MRI and the contribution towards holistic health this technology brings.
Interwoven within the design traditional Elders, people and gathering circle symbolism depicts the HMRI team and the communities, stakeholders and partnership within which they work. Entwined with bush tucker this design highlights the value of cultural knowledge, medicine and the healing that can be found in mother nature through the passing on of knowledge from past, present and into the future.
Gathering circles flow across the imagery backdrop depicting tribal groups throughout the Hunter New England Health footprint, while songlines on country highlight and celebrate the diversity of country through form and colour palette.
Each of the gathering cycles has 6 traditional people symbols, symbolic of the six L’s of Lore, Love, Listen, Look, Learn and Lead, reflection of community, teamwork and inclusion.
Across the top and bottom of the artwork soft imagery depicts the organs of the body seen through MRI scanning. The clever man at the bottom left corning shares a traditional message of seeing, through large eyes reflective of wisdom and understanding and eyes within his belly, which relate to intuition and spiritual connection to Biami.
The Awabakal Eagle totem sours high within the artwork and is joined by animals seen across air, land and sea. This represents the many tribal group totems across the services footprint, while bringing a warm welcome to all.
Skylight Artwork Story
Muni Yarns – Star Story
This artwork shares the stories of the sky songline seen with the star constellations over country.
The Milky Way becomes that great flowing river of light, revealing the Emu in the Sky is revealed and stretches out as a seasonal teacher, telling people when to gather, when to wait, and to take only what is right.
The Southern Cross sits like a strong marker, holding direction and allowing us to follow age old paths on land and sea, while Orion’s Belt, read as men fishing in a canoe by Aboriginal people, brings people into the sky: not as separate from Country, but part of the same living system, water, seasons, food ways, and responsibility.
Overall, this image links a cultural way of showing connection between Sky, Country, and community, where every mark can be both beauty and message.
