Balarinji’s Australian Pavilion Logo Takes Gold in World Design Awards
The Australian Pavilion logo for the 2025 Osaka World Expo created by Australia’s longest running and most highly awarded Indigenous design studio, Balarinji, has won gold in the 2025 World Design Awards, Graphic Design - Identity & Branding category.
Balarinji was engaged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to design a distinctive and meaningful logo and branding to showcase the nation at the 2025 Osaka World Expo, to be held from 13 April to 13 October 2025. The logo and branding is layered with authentic Aboriginal storytelling and reflects a contemporary and authentic Indigenous Australian identity.
The joyful ‘Chasing the Sun’ logo and branding Balarinji created brings together Australia’s ancient foundational heritage with a contemporary, shared narrative. The design reflects the nation’s authentic Indigenous cultural identity and its irrepressible optimism and energy.
“Balarinji has a special connection with Japan reaching back to the 1990s when we designed beautiful kimonos with flamboyant Aboriginal motifs. In 2005, we also created the Australian Pavilion logo and branding for the Aichi World Expo.”
said Balarinji Indigenous Creative Lead, Ngunnawal man Johnny Bridges.
“It was an honour to communicate the beauty and strengths of our modern nation through the lens of our rich 60,000+ year-old Aboriginal heritage,”
Through storytelling and a layered use of symbols and colours of Australian light, the design represents a new approach for how Australia is represented in global contexts and its commitment to renewable energy, cultural mobility and innovation.
The rings of the circle represent the heart of the nation. The swirling movement around the circle symbolises energy, as old as the heartbeat of our ancient continent and as new as Country’s renewable resources, the sun, wind and water. The dots allude to the kangaroo’s tail depicted in Australia’s Nation Brand (also designed by Balarinji) and suggest the movement of the dynamic, creative people of Australia.
“This work showcases Balarinji’s branding expertise and ability to deliver design excellence that is anchored in authentic cultural knowledge and understanding. We’re very happy with the clean, dynamic result. We love its simplicity,”
said Balarinji Senior Designer, Manuela Strano.
Balarinji’s philosophy is deeply inspired by co-founder John Moriarty’s history. Born in the late 1930s to a Yanyuwa mother and Irish father in Borroloola, a remote community in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory, John was taken from his home at the age of four as part of the Stolen Generations, a government strategy to assimilate Aboriginal children. The policy’s purpose was to eliminate cultural practice and language. It was not until 1968 at the age of 30, that John was able to return to Borroloola to reunite with his family, culture and Country.
Established in 1983 by John and current Managing Director and Creative Executive, Ros Moriarty, Balarinji is recognised for its unparalleled contribution to design excellence by authentically amplifying Indigenous culture, voices and narratives to create impactful change for a new, shared Australian identity.
The Australian Pavilion logo and branding also won gold in the 2025 Gov Design Awards which celebrates the courage of commissioners and creators of design projects within the government, community and public sectors.
About Balarinji
Balarinji is Australia’s most highly awarded and longest running Indigenous design and strategy agency. An Aboriginal-owned agency founded in 1983 on Yanyuwa traditions, Balarinji’s interdisciplinary work comes from authentic engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culture, art, stories and identity towards design excellence.
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