Jade Dolman
Class of 2012
Class of 2012
First Nations Artist
Jade is a Whadjuk/Balladong Noongar (Mother's side), Eastern Arrernte (Father's side) woman.
At school was involved in many aspects of school life. She was a House Captain for Forrest, was a member of the Bush Ranger Cadet Unit and participated in the Follow the Dream program.
During Year 11 she was also the face of the school's 'Welcome to Lawley' video, and in Year 12 Jade was appointed as a Prefect.
After leaving school, Jade decided to take her interest in art to the next level. She created her own company 'J.D.Penengke' (pronounced pen-ung-gah), and began helping schools with Aboriginal education and art projects.
Since then, she has been involved with over 80 schools in Western Australia including childcare centres, primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
Her work expanded to murals, first in schools and later into the broader community. The mural outside our Middle School was her fifth one, and was painted in 2015, opening early the following year.
She completed an Aboriginal women's leadership program, Yorga Djenna Bidi in 2016 and, in 2017, with a growing business, Jade finally graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Indigenous Knowledge, History & Heritage and in Fine Arts.
She has worked as a mentor for the Wirrpanda (now Waalitj) Foundation, Save the Children, the Nyoongar Wellbeing & Sports Association and the Department of Child Protection. She also created the Moorditj Mural Mentorship Program, facilitating a mural design workshop to help First Nations Artists to design and paint their first murals.
Her art work has appeared in numerous places around Perth. From the Maylands Train Station underpass to Whiteman Park, Optus Stadium, Bendat Basketball Stadium, as well as on the City of Vincent Ranger vehicles, and school uniforms. She even painted an entire netball/basketball court in Bentley.
Jade has created digital installations for the City of Perth, Curtin University and Perth Airport, and has work on display at the Boola Bardip WA Museum.
She won a competition to paint the Reid Library Bridge at UWA, created the Perth Scorchers Indigenous Jerseys (mens and women's teams) and painted a roof mural on the viewing platform at Wellington Dam.
According to Jade, career highlights include her collaboration with Adnate on a huge mural at the Adnate Hotel, and the pedestrian bridge between the Perth Airport train station and the Terminals. In 2023, after a 3 year COVID delay, she participated in an art residency she had won at the Kosta Boda Glassworks in Sweden.