dellaram vreeland

Growing up, Karima Baadilla was led to believe that creative work was not conducive to a “liveable life”.

“I think I always knew I wanted to create. From a young age I remember saying that drawing and writing were my most favourite things. But I was told that is not how one would feed themselves – as in, it’s not a liveable life.”

So taking the path many do in order to seek out a lifestyle deemed more sustainable, Karima completed a Bachelor of Commerce and CPA before entering the corporate world.

“But I always felt that something was not quite right.”

After a year-long sabbatical travelling the world, including an interview with Microsoft in Jakarta, Karima decided to finally follow her childhood yearning and enrol into art school.

“My art is a way for me to live my life unapologetically, and through that I hope people like my younger self can see art and creative industries as something that is a possibility and not such a mysterious thing,” Karima says.

Karima’s paintings are vibrant and arresting, particularly her still-life pieces and ceramic works. They’re the sort of pieces you desire in every room of your home. Exhibiting across the country as well as locally and internationally, Karima has won numerous accolades for her work and is also a co-director of The Artists Guild – a social enterprise with a focus of championing women in the arts.

Having relocated to Australia from Indonesia as a teenager, Karima now lives in the regional hamlet of Clunes on DjaDja Wurrung Country, and says she strives to give back to her new hometown as best she can, embracing that creative energy that was stowed away in her heart since she was young.

Also working at Renew Australia – a national social enterprise designed to spearhead the development of the arts and creative industries across the country – she says that using her talents to enrich her surrounding community is what she loves most.

“I try to be involved with my local community. I volunteer with Boom Clunes – a social enterprise where the community brings in their goods and we sell them and all the proceeds go back to the community. I am currently trying to create a few Clunes specific products that I can supply through Boom and give the profit back to the organisation and the Clunes community.”

“In a way, my craft is a way to connect with people, I think.”

To immerse yourself in Karima’s evocative artworks, visit imkarima.com or instagram.com/hello_imkarima

Words: Dellaram Vreeland
Feature image: On Jackson Street
Photos of Karima’s works: Still Smiths