ngurra birang: (belonging (from) Country

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Bernadette (B) Hardy is a Gamilaraay & Dharug woman with Irish and English heritage. B is a trans-disciplinary artist and co-leader of hardyhardy, a spatial and product design partnership. She has always lived, worked, and raised her children on Dharug Country, now known as Sydney.

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Throughout all her work, B explores belonging and the threshold between the natural world and the built environment through her unique methodology, 'Country Sensing Design.' Her work focuses on how environments can empower positive interactions and foster a sense of connection, inclusion, and belonging. She explores storywork unique to place through the lens of "two-eyed seeing."

B’s creative work is deeply influenced by her identity and her experience raising a family within autistic culture. Her knowledge and values have been shaped by her father, a Gamilaraay and Dharug master craftsman. She weaves Indigenous knowledge, an understanding of autistic culture, and Western methods to create a new paradigm in interior spatial design and pedagogy that promotes a sense of belonging.

B believes in the importance of defending both Country and autistic culture as proud identities. Through her design and art, she aims to keep the fire burning loud and proud in spaces of othering, uncovering and creating spaces of belonging where no one is left behind. Her work celebrates and honours these identities, challenging conventional design paradigms and advocating for spaces that respect and empower the unique perspectives and needs of Indigenous and autistic communities.

B believes that the natural elements—wind, air, land, water, flora, and fauna—are part of a living laboratory that can teach us. She says, "What I believe could help us is accessing the answers Country teaches us to solve many of the challenges we face within current systems."