Happy Westies
Redefining the ‘westie’ stereotype
Role
Illustrator
Categories
Illustration
The Challenge
The term ‘westie’ is often associated with the media’s negative generalisation of Western Sydney residents (typically as ignorant, disadvantaged and violent). This was a university project where students were tasked with presenting their own interpretation of the term ‘westie’ based on their personal experiences.
The Approach
Taking my own experiences living in Western Sydney, I always viewed the area as highly multicultural, filled with hard-working people who are happy and proud of where they came from; both in their place of origin and in the West. These views were depicted in my illustrative piece.
The Outcome
A number of pieces was selected through peer voting to be exhibited at Western Sydney University’s EXPLORE: WEST exhibition in 2015. Having my piece at the exhibition was an honour.
