Nikita Ridgeway (born 1986) is a Bundjalung/ Biripi graphic designer from Australia, who was awarded the a BBC 100 Women Award in 2015 in recognition of her entrepreneurial work and advocacy for Aboriginal graphic design.
Ridgeway was born in 1986 belongs to the Bundjalung and Biripi peoples. [1] Her parents are Steven and Dianne Ridgeway; her grandmother was the historian and writer, Ruby Langford Ginibi. [2] She attended Blacktown Girls' High School, and was the first Koori to be the school captain. [2]
A graphic designer, [1] she founded Dreamtime Ink Australia which is a social media account specialising in Aboriginal tattoo art in Australia. [3] She also owns Boss Lady Creative Design Agency, which specialises in Aboriginal graphic design. [4] [5] In 2020 Ridgeway created artwork used in National Reconciliation Week. [1] [6]
In 2021 she created the brand for Coles' Supermarkets renewable energy initiative. [7] Also in 2021 she created indigenous artwork used to decorate two fire trucks used by Wreck Bay (Australia) Rural Fire Brigade. [8] The brigade is owned and managed by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council. [9] Ridgeway has also worked on a variety of state-wide, national and international commissions, including the logo design for Sydney Water's Innovation Festival in 2021 and with the First Nations Foundation on a superannuation toolkit. [9] [10] [11]
Ridgeway also established Australia's first indigenous hip-hop record label with her brother Stephen. [12] Called Redfern Records, the label was named after the Sydney neighbourhood of Redfern they grew up in. [13]