





My name is Emma Stamatellis and I am a motion graphics designer and illustrator, with a passion
for storytelling.
From a young age I was obsessed with stories, whether they were from a book, film or even
history. I often found myself getting lost in my own imagination. This led me to pursue animation,
making the move to Melbourne from rural Australia to study a Bachelor of Animation.
I have now been designing professionally since 2020, bringing the vision and emotions of others
to life. My goal is not only to create visually appealing content, but to use the power of storytelling
to educate, inspire and empower
How did you become an artist?
Growing up in rural Australia, I often felt like an outlier. I didn’t exactly fit the mould of most people
around me so I turned to stories. Whether they were from books, film or even history, I become
lost in the infinite worlds of others. My imagination let me escape into realities that where not my
own, and I quickly began to visualise them through drawing and painting. With encouragement
from my family to pursue my passion for storytelling and illustration, I took a leap and moved to
Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Animation. I have now been designing professionally since
2020, bringing the visions and emotions of others to life. My goal is not only to create visually
appealing content, but to use the power of storytelling to educate, inspire and empower
What inspired this piece of artwork? What was your process?
I began by writing down my own experiences in being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and
found myself drawn to the scribble: “The hardest part about being who I am is being proud of
myself. There is a constant battle within myself and a lot of the time I don’t end up on top”. Being
apart of a diverse community, I cannot speak on behalf of everyones experience, but I do believe
being proud of who you are is something that all marginalised people have struggled with. I
wanted to create an image that embodies the importance of being proud of yourself, and how it
will allow you to be surrounded by a community that supports, accepts and embraces who you
are.
How do you hope people feel when they see this artwork?
I hope people, whether they are apart of the LGBTQA+ community or an ally, can see apart of
themselves or someone they love in the artwork. I hope it makes them smile and reminds them to
take a moment be proud of who they are and of those around them.
How can we be more inclusive to LGBTQIA+ people?
I believe in creating clothing spaces that are inviting to all gender identities. Ive always had a
troubled relationship with fashion as I don’t seem to fit into what society expects a women to
dress like and am constantly reminded when entering clothing stores. It’s okay to sell just feminine
or masculine clothing, but it is important to acknowledge that it is not just women who are
purchasing feminine clothing, or men purchasing masculine clothing; but people of different
identities shopping for what is right for them.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years? What does a better future look like to you?
I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, but what I do know is I want to work on
projects that involve education. I want to create videos or illustrative pieces that educate people
on the world around them. A better future for me would be a world without ignorance - a place
where people don’t have to hide who they are.

