Interview with Jess Harwood: Art, Advocacy and Celebrating a Diverse Australia

Jess Harwood has never taken a particularly conventional route to becoming an artist. After studying and working as a lawyer, Jess spent more than a decade in environmental and climate media and advocacy before making the leap into full-time creative work in 2025. Today, she works across illustration, political cartoons, graphic recording, writing and commissions, using visual storytelling to communicate ideas and make people stop, look and think. 

That intersection of art and advocacy is at the heart of Jess’s work. Her I Love a Diverse Australia artwork is a celebration of the people, cultures, identities and natural environments that make Australia what it is. Inspired in part by the idea of a so-called Australian “monoculture”, Jess created the piece as a colourful expression of the opposite: an Australia that is already diverse, multicultural and full of life. 

The artwork has since made its way beyond the screen and onto t-shirts, giving people a chance to wear the message and share it with others. We spoke to Jess about her creative journey, why visual storytelling matters, the story behind I Love a Diverse Australia, and what she’s planning to make next. 

About Jess 

1. For readers who haven't come across your work before, can you tell us a little about yourself and your creative journey? 

Sure! I’m former lawyer who went on to work in environmental and climate media and advocacy for over a decade. I made the leap into fulltime creative life in 2025 and I haven’t looked back. I always drew political cartoons and made art, even when I was studying law and working in policy, so I think it might have been inevitable.    

2. You're a cartoonist, artist, lawyer, writer and scribe. How do those different parts of your life influence one another? 

I juggle a lot of different types of work but I love that because it makes life interesting for me! I am currently doing a Residency with the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, I do cartoons (and I thank my Patreon members for helping me with that), I do artistic commissions for organisations and businesses and provide graphic recording services at events and conferences. It’s never boring! I don’t practice as a legal practitioner as I’ve let my certificate lapse, but once you train as a lawyer, you’re always a lawyer.  

3. What first drew you to illustration as a form of communication and storytelling? 

When I was working in climate media and advocacy, I realised that people weren’t reading the reports and media releases we sent out. I started to experiment with providing information in comics and art, and it was quite successful in grabbing people’s attention online. Many people are visual learners who need art, pictures and visual storytelling to understand and remember information, so I decided to use my art skills to cater to them!  

The ‘I Love a Diverse Australia’ Design 

4. Can you tell us the story behind the I Love a Diverse Australia artwork? What inspired the piece? 

Coming from a multi-racial family myself, I love Australia’s diversity. It’s our strength. My Mum came from India and my Dad came from Britain, and we always had family and friends who were English, Indian, Irish, New Zealander, Sri Lankan and more. My artwork was to express love and appreciation for the diversity of people in Australia, and to say I wouldn’t be here without this diversity.    

5. Diversity can mean many different things to different people. What does it mean to you? 

There are so many different forms of diversity. Australia is an old country and we need to acknowledge that Aboriginal peoples have been here for over 60,000 years – and Aboriginal society is incredibly diverse too! Then there is diversity from waves of immigration to Australia from all around the world. There’s incredible biodiversity in Australia too. For example, there are over 800 species of eucalypt trees in Australia, not to mention other plants, birds, insects and wildlife. There’s diversity of people’s sexual identities, gender identities, the communities they belong to, their interests and hobbies. To me, diversity itself is diverse!  

6. Have there been any particularly memorable responses you've received from people who connected with the artwork? 

When I made this artwork into a t-shirt, I received lots of lovely photos of people who had many different diverse identities wearing it – that made me feel so good!  

Turning Artwork Into Merchandise 

7. What made you decide to turn the artwork into a t-shirt design? 

Honestly, it was when Pauline Hanson made her monoculture speech. I decided that I wanted to express my appreciation for the opposite of her vision for Australia, which is the multicultural society that already exists. There’s no going back Pauline, we’re already diverse and brilliant! The monoculture is a myth.  

8. Was merchandise always part of the vision, or did it evolve as people responded to the artwork? 

I’m increasingly getting into making merchandise when I do an artwork because people want to own a copy, wear the art and share the message. This is so wonderful!  

9. You've mentioned that people have asked for tote bags as well. What has surprised you most about how people want to engage with your work? 

I’m just always chuffed that people ask for my artwork in a form that they can purchase. It’s wonderful that people want to support local artists and share the messages embodied in the artworks that we create!  

10. How does it feel seeing your artwork move from a digital illustration to something people can wear and carry with them? 

It’s the best feeling in the world!  

Looking Ahead 

11. What are you currently working on that you're excited about? 

I have a few projects on the go but specifically I’m going to look at the work I did for Eucalypt Australia in 2025 during a fellowship I did with them and see if I can make other products for people to buy (I love nature, I know many others do too!)    

12. Are there any future merchandise ideas or creative projects you'd love to explore? 

So many. Like most artists, I have more ideas than capacity to do them. I’m working on a eucalypt zine at the moment and I’m thinking about other tea towels and merchandise I could make!  

13. What's one piece of advice you'd give to artists who are thinking about turning their artwork into products? 

Doing this with folks like the Print Bar makes it easy because handling merchandise yourself is very tricky. You need space to store the products, you need time to go to the post office constantly, you need to follow up orders and work out packaging. That can be too much for some people to handle on top of their other jobs!  

14. Where can people find and support your work? 

My website is www.jessharwood.com and I’m on social media @jessharwoodart, but if you want more exclusive updates you can join my Patreon.

15. Finally, what's bringing you joy creatively right now? 

The prospect of getting some time to make linocut prints over summer. My parents have an old printing press which I’m excited to use (once they extricate it from the depths of their garage.)  

Keep Up with Jess Harwood 

From political cartoons and climate advocacy to linocut prints, graphic recording and wearable art, Jess Harwood’s work continues to explore the ideas, people and places that make Australia what it is. If you enjoyed getting to know Jess and her creative practice, you can find more of her work at jessharwood.com and follow @jessharwoodart on social media. You can also support Jess and get exclusive updates through her Patreon. 

And if Jess’s story has you thinking about turning your own artwork into something you can wear, share or sell, The Print Bar can help bring your designs to life. From t-shirts and tote bags to custom merchandise, we make it simple for artists and creatives to turn their ideas into products without having to manage the printing, storage and fulfilment themselves.