“Curtin Commons is an online storytelling space for Curtin alumni, staff, students and friends. Featuring a series of thought-provoking articles intended to inspire and enlighten, Commons celebrates the many amazing contributions of our Curtin community and how they are striving to create a brighter future for us all.”
– Carmelle Wilkinson, Editor-in-Chief
As a young boy, Harman Singh Heer would sit quietly in the back of a […]
18/03/2026. By Carmelle Wilkinson. For many people in their early 40s, writing a gift into […]
18/03/2026. By Carmelle Wilkinson. Long before thousands of West Australians relaxed on bean bags and […]
For William Peucker, discovering graphic design wasn’t just about finding a career – it was about coming home.
Dressed in her graduation regalia, Afia Anjum stood beside the stage at Curtin’s 2025 Djiiba Graduations. Just weeks before, she received news no one is ever prepared for.
Amidst the chaos of civil war in Sri Lanka, a young man driven by pure will and an entrepreneurial flair, launched a start-up that later, his daughter would help turn into a flourishing business.
Ed Punchard. From surviving the world’s worst offshore oil rig disaster to uncovering long-lost shipwrecks […]
Matt, Nate and Dan Curran are passionate about celebrating their indigenous roots and sparking meaningful change along the way.
Creative director Ken Leung is the visionary behind Curtin Alumni’s new video. The Curtin alum has an extraordinary career story, which involves working in New York and with major fashion brands like Calvin Klein.
In 2015, Tom Johnston swapped his business suit for a wetsuit – opening his own surf school – Perth Go Surf.
Since then, Tom now has the rewarding task of helping people with autism find enjoyment in catching their own waves, through a new partnership – Ocean Heroes.
After winning Curtin’s Talent for Tomorrow Competition in 2023 – there is a name that has become quite popular at our graduation celebrations – 3NA.
For the past two years, brothers Matt, Dan and Nate have been treating our graduation audiences to a finale most universities would be envious of. Dan (Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery) and Nate (Bachelor of Science, Occupational Therapy) are both proud Curtin Alumnus, and together with their brother Matt, are fusing the unlikely worlds of rap and academia together.
After years of working as a freelance designer around the world, Curtin Commerce graduate Emilie Otto became burnt out and exhausted.
Fast forward to 2024, she is now the owner of House of Hobby, which is a space that helps people find a creative hobby while supporting and empowering local artists and makers to share their skills.
Former Head of English and current Head of Academics and Innovation at Wesley College Adam Kealley understands the power of words.
With a recent PhD in creative writing and cultural studies from Curtin, the avid reader and writer shares his top tips on improving your writing skills.
From living in one of the most isolated cities in the world to working in New York City for the world’s biggest brands, Curtin Graphic Design graduate Deanne Cheuk never envisioned that she would become the world-renowned artist she is today.
Growing up in Bassendean with the Swan River as her canvas, Deanne was always surrounded by nature and spent much of her childhood travelling abroad with family which sparked her sense of wonder from an early age.
At the age of 19, she landed her first job as a magazine art director in Perth, before deciding to launch the world’s smallest magazine, Neomu.
Born out of Deanne’s frustration with expensive books that lacked a sense of wonder on every page, she created an independent, pocket-sized graphic zine with no words, just pictures.
“I wanted to produce something that was inspiring on every page,” she said.
“I assumed that if the size was very small, then it would be cheaper to produce and that was how it all started.”
Since then, Deanne has become a globally-recognised illustrator and artist known for her distinctive artwork deeply inspired by nature, utopia and existence, often distorting realistic representation into fantasy.
Over the years, she has illustrated work from some of the world’s leading brands including Chanel, Nike, The New York Times Magazine, Converse and many more.
In this month’s Creative Spotlight, Deanne shares how she managed to carve out a creative career in one of the most intensely competitive creative hubs in the world.
Read our full interview with Deanne here.
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A ‘commons’ is a space that is shared by and benefits a community.
Our commons is a cultural and virtual one, reflecting the ideas and experiences shared by a proud and distinct Curtin community living in Western Australia and around the world. We hope that this space will inspire us to stay connected in ways that are beneficial to our lives, families and communities.
