Komatsu Australia has partnered with Noongar and Yamatji artist Jermaine Miller-Lewis to create a new piece of Indigenous artwork, which will now feature on a polo shirt worn by employees across the business.
The artwork, titled Koorl Boodja, meaning “Moving on Country”, reflects Komatsu’s people, workplaces and global reach, while honouring the importance of learning, connection and moving forward together.
Jermaine, who is based in Perth, first connected with Komatsu through his teenage involvement with the Clontarf Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that supports young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men through education, mentoring and employment pathways.
Komatsu Australia has partnered with Clontarf for the past six years, offering mentoring, career opportunities, work experience and mock interviews, as well as funding aimed at helping Indigenous students reach their potential.
This year, the partnership has been renewed for a further three years.
According to Jermaine, the chance to design the artwork grew out of that long-standing relationship with the foundation.
He explained that he began practising art as a teenager and, in recent years, has moved from canvas-based work into digital design.
It was through this shift that Clontarf Foundation approached him with the opportunity to create a piece celebrating both its partnership with Komatsu and Komatsu’s broader connection to Country.
As part of his creative process, Jermaine visited Komatsu’s Welshpool facility, where he spent time learning about the company’s history, its people and its machinery.
That visit informed the final design, which uses earthy ochre tones to represent the land and Country, paired with green shapes symbolising Komatsu’s origins in a pine forest in Japan and its evolution into a global organisation.
Describing the artwork, Jermaine said: “At the centre of the artwork sits Komatsu as the main meeting place, with travelling lines extending outwards to represent Komatsu locations across Australia and around the world.”
He added: “It shows people from different places coming together to work and learn as one, while the meeting places and travelling lines represent communities, workers, customers and families and the importance of connection and shared knowledge.”
Zara Carey, General Manager, People Experience at Komatsu Australia, said the collaboration reflects the impact that long-term partnerships such as Clontarf can have on young people and the pathways available to them.
She noted that Jermaine’s story is a strong example of the confidence, skills and opportunities that programs like Clontarf help build, and said: “Jermaine’s journey is a great example of the confidence, skills and opportunities programs like Clontarf can help create, and we’re proud to be able to showcase his artwork across our business on our uniforms.”
Carey also pointed to the significance of extending the partnership for another three years, describing it as a reflection of Komatsu’s ongoing commitment to supporting young people and building lasting connections with those entering the industry.
She said partnerships of this kind play an important role in helping build a more inclusive industry, one where young people can see genuine opportunities and representation for themselves.
Nick Jenkins, General Manager, Partnerships and Communications at Clontarf Foundation, echoed that sentiment, saying the long-running relationship between Clontarf and Komatsu has made a meaningful difference for many young men involved with the program across the country.
He said the dedication shown by Komatsu staff throughout the participants’ journeys has been consistent, reflecting the genuine values and investment the company brings to the partnership, and that Clontarf looks forward to continuing to build on that relationship in the years ahead.
The new polo shirt featuring Jermaine’s design will be worn by Komatsu employees across the business, giving his artwork and the story behind it a visible presence throughout the organisation.
