Helping shape the sustainable growth of Indigenous culture through authentic expression of Indigenous knowledge and representation.

A man with a beard and short dark hair wearing a white sweatshirt and a wristwatch crosses his arms in front of a colorful abstract mural background.

Troy Firebrace’s creative journey is one of personal discovery and purposeful expression. Born in Shepparton, his story as a Yorta Yorta & Dja Dja Wurrung man was driven by a natural inclination towards art from a young age. During school his passion grew towards the arts, unlike other subjects, he was instinctively driven to explore further.

His path from sketching in school notebooks to a professional creative was guided by a pivotal piece of advice: to pursue a career fuelled by passion, not just practicality. This led him to the visual arts at La Trobe University, where he honed his skills and found his unique style, developing his craft and conceptual thinking.

Today, Troy is a professional artist and an Indigenous lecturer. Through his business, Firebrace Creative, he offers two distinct but interconnected services: fine art and Indigenous education. His work is a powerful, authentic expression of Indigenous identity, a direct result of his research in discovering diverse artistic expression of his own culture.

He serves as a Conduit to Country, connecting people and projects to the deep, spiritual knowledge of the land. His art and education are informed by a lifetime of lived experience, research and conversations with his Elders, which stands as a source of authenticity in his practice.

Troy’s work has been recognised at the highest levels, but his greatest achievement lies in providing Indigenous education to teachers and youth across Victoria. As a lecturer, he is driven by a desire to rectify the lack of Indigenous representation experienced in his own schooling, aiming to help university students who wish to be teachers to gain respect, understanding and skills to embed Indigenous education authentically in their classrooms. As an Artist, he continues the same ambition but for the wider community, using his art as a platform to educate and empower young Aboriginal people to be proud in their identity and find success by following their own passions.

Through his work, Troy is actively contributing to the celebration of Indigenous culture, ensuring that it continues to thrive for future generations.

Contact Troy
An elderly woman feeding a young man with a bowl of food in a cozy living room decorated with family photos.
A man sitting by a river in a black hoodie and green beanie, holding a map, with trees in the background.
A man with a beard and short hair, staring directly at the camera with a serious expression, illuminated against a dark background.
A woman and a man standing on a front porch of a brick house with plants in pots and garden beds, smiling at the camera.
A man with a checked shirt writing on a notepad at a rock excavation site with a large reddish-brown rock and some objects on it.
A man wearing a green beanie, plaid jacket, and light-colored pants sitting outdoors by a river, holding a wooden bowl with burning incense and green leaves, with smoke rising from the bowl.
A man with a tattooed arm is painting a large, colorful mural with abstract patterns using a paintbrush.

Yordja

Yordja is a transformative, immersive methodology that defines and unifies all of Firebrace Creative's practices.

It goes beyond a standard acknowledgment to provide genuine cultural engagement.

At its core, Yordja is an active, ethical framework for engaging with and embedding Indigenous knowledge. It is not a passive transaction or a token gesture, but a conscious movement toward authentic understanding, respect, and collaboration.

The methodology is grounded in Troy Firebrace's lived experience as a Conduit to Country and his deep, direct connection to his Elders and ancestral land. It functions by:

  • Translating Knowledge: Taking complex, multigenerational cultural concepts and translating them into accessible, actionable insights for contemporary projects, whether through a brushstroke, an educational workshop, or a co-design session.

  • Fostering Reciprocity: Ensuring that engagement is mutually beneficial. The process aims to enrich the client's understanding and project outcome while ethically supporting the continuity and enrichment of Indigenous culture.

  • Enabling Ethical Partnership: Providing the foundational understanding necessary to move past simply "including" Indigenous voices, toward truly "partnering" with them. This involves setting clear, respectful boundaries and operating within a framework of cultural protocols.

By applying Yordja, Firebrace Creative ensures that every piece of art, every educational experience, and every collaborative project is rooted in authenticity, creating meaningful connections that honour the past while actively shaping a respectful and inclusive future.

Client: Bendigo Bank

Project: Reconciliation Action Plan

A shared connection to Country through Yordja.

A large glass window with a colorful graffiti mural of swirling lines and shapes. Outside, there are parked cars and buildings visible through the glass.
A man with a beard and tattoos posing in a dark setting illuminated by blue lights, holding a baseball bat.
A man looking at a plant on a tray with steam or smoke rising from it, with other people waiting in line nearby, in front of a colorful mural.
Person using a pyrography tool to burn a design into a wooden surface, which includes a large circle and lines, creating a geometric pattern.
A man with tattoos on his arms kneeling on grass and cutting a log with a saw at night. Several people standing around and a fire emitting smoke are visible in the background.
Close-up of a hand holding a red and black pencil, touching the textured bark of a weathered tree trunk.
A man in a plaid jacket looking at an abstract painting on an easel in a canyon with red and brown rocks.
A man with tattoos and a woman having a conversation in a cozy living room filled with family photos and decorations.
A person stands near a tree with red and white lighting, surrounded by yellowish smoke or fog, at night. They appear to be holding objects and are illuminated against a dark background with a group of people in the distance.

OUR CLIENTS

The Block

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Bendigo Bank

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Coliban Water

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La Trobe University

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RMIT

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ABC Kids

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Spiire

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Mind Australia

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NCN Health

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Telstra

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Creative Arts Victoria

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OkMotels

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Anglicare Victoria

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Rumbalara

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Kaiela Institute

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Moria Shire Council

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Greater Shepparton City Council

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Headspace

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The Block • Bendigo Bank • Coliban Water • La Trobe University • RMIT • ABC Kids • Spiire • Mind Australia • NCN Health • Telstra • Creative Arts Victoria • OkMotels • Anglicare Victoria • Rumbalara • Kaiela Institute • Moria Shire Council • Greater Shepparton City Council • Headspace •

Contact Us

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