Central West based artist Nathan Peckham recently completed a striking corporate work for the NSW Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR).

Nathan was commissioned by the statewide irrigation supervisory agency to create a multi-purpose work for use in corporate and office branding, stationary, uniforms, and publications for staff, many of whom are based in central and western NSW.

The artwork depicts a lone Jabiru flying over a winding river to symbolise the NRAR’s role in protecting and monitoring water resources with the visuals to be used in building stronger connections with Aboriginal communities.

The Tubba-Gah/Wiradjuri man has strong ancestral ties to the Macquarie (Wambuul) River, and is the owner of Yurana Creative, a local design studio specialising in Cultural visual language.

"We grew up and camped on the river every holiday, on weekends it seemed like a second home. It's very important to our family," Mr Peckham explained.

"Some say I'm an artist, but a ‘practitioner of Cultural language’ is probably the best way to describe what I do. In all of my artworks, there's a bigger issue behind them, it's important for me to have that sense of integrity," he added.

His work is also strongly inspired by his late mother, Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Coral Peckham, a respected artist, conservationist, and community leader.

“I always create an artwork like she's going to approve of it, like she's watching,” Mr Peckham revealed.

“There's no one's opinion that I valued more than hers.”

He said he was proud of his contribution to Cultural understanding expressed in the recently-launched NRAR artwork and branding.

“In a deep sense, the messaging of this artwork is that everything is connected. You interfere with one thing, it's going to have repercussions," Mr Peckham said.

"We're not above it, we're a part of it and it would be a shame for us to find out the hard way that we have to respect everything; everything above us and everything below us, and everything next to us,” he concluded.

NRAR Director of Education and Engagement, Keeley Reynolds, said commissioning an Aboriginal artist to create artwork for the NRAR, shows their respect for First Nations Peoples.

"It reflects NRAR’s commitment to their values in our agency’s identity," Ms Reynolds said.

"The artwork is a visual way to recognise First Nations People as the traditional custodians of the land and water, and highlight that caring for Country is our shared responsibility," she concluded.

Nathan has previously produced artworks and designs for numerous NSW and Commonwealth Government departments and agencies, as well as for universities, Taronga Zoo, Sydney’s Vivid festival, and private sector businesses.