Kylie Harber - Australian Mural Artist and Wallpaper Designer
A trip to California changed my life.
It was 2010 and my post holiday excitement dwindled to dread as I scrolled through my happy snaps, searching for a photo worthy of my wall.
I had left my heart in San Francisco and I had nothing to remember her by. I was frustrated that my photos did not accurately capture the beauty I experienced.
Those endless hills. That breathtaking orange bridge. The charming row houses. The pervasive rolling fog and the glittering, pounding ocean. A delightful mix of wild nature and modern architecture.
Thankfully my partner had taken excellent photos, one of which we hung in the living room. It filled my heart with joy and longing every time I glanced at this gorgeous cityscape.
This experience motivated me to start creating artworks of the places I left my heart (and to learn manual photography).
I didn’t consider myself an artist then but I knew I was creative. Inspired by a decade of drawing maps and plans in my job as a landscape architect and urban designer, I drew a map of San Francisco - every street and waterway in crisp linework. It was my love letter to my ‘soul city’.
This is is how Tiny Giraffe came to be.
Travel is like an addiction you don’t want to quit.
And a hand-drawn map of a city where you left your heart? It brings a joy like no other.​
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Tiny Giraffe has grown and expanded to large scale artworks in the form of wallpaper and wallpaper murals. I'm now a full time professional artist living my dream life - one I created through 22 years of hard work, dedication and a lifelong passion for art and design.
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I’m based in sunny Brisbane, Australia and it is an honour to help amazing clients all over the world to create their dream spaces with bespoke art, patterned wallpapers and wallpaper murals.​
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The Story of Tiny Giraffe
Tiny Giraffe artworks embody the spirit of travel, the places we leave our hearts and our dreams for the future.
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After creating my own San Francisco map I realised I'd love a series of maps for my wall at home. So I drew more cities.
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In 2016 my passion project turned into a side hustle.
I launched the Tiny Giraffe website to share my hand drawn city map artworks with the world. I called the series my "I Left My Heart" collection. I presented my art prints at the Paddington and Balmain markets in Sydney, as well as Finders Keepers Barangaroo and a pop up shop in West Elm.
In 2017 a client landed in my inbox, asking if I could make my Sydney map larger and I said YES, despite not knowing how to fill the 7m wide wall in his office! I worked as a landscape architect and urban designer - so I started quizzing my interior design friends at work. The response was unanimous - WALLPAPER. It took a lot of research, phone calls and design discussions but the outcome was incredible - a Sydney office mural of epic proportions.
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Now? I work full time in Tiny Giraffe, creating custom designed, large scale wall art for a variety of spaces.
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I also help businesses with their branding assets too, combine my skills in graphic design with art. My digital line art, organic hand lettering and hand-painted watercolour immediately take a branding from generic to bespoke. I love to see my artworks used across products, websites and interior spaces for a holistic approach.
My current dream is to help a boutique hotel or a fine dining restaurant where a bespoke mural might grace the walls, as well as the menu. I'm also dying to create a metallic wallpaper map mural - will you be the first?
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Tiny Giraffe artworks feature crisp linework, drawn by hand, for beautiful, elegant artworks. I complement my line art with traditional watercolour and digital hand lettering for a unique aesthetic.
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About Mr G
Business Advisor. Muse.
Mr G is the spirit behind Tiny Giraffe.
When I was thinking of a name for my business, it needed to represent the spirit of travel!
Tiny Giraffe was named after Mr. G - a tiny yellow swizzlestick that I found in my cocktail, having a celebratory last drink at the end of a fabulous holiday.
Mr. G hails from the bustling city of Hong Kong. He used to work in a bar at the airport, until I found him, put him in my pocket and we began our adventures together.
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I brought him home as a memento of the holiday. Since 2012, he has sat beside me as I create your precious artworks.
Mr G is the silent cheerleader (with huge personality) behind my artworks - watching me draw every day. He reminds me of the power of travel and the passion behind why I started.
He encourages me to reach for my dreams and to make a difference in the world.
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You can read Mr G's story here.
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*If you hear me say 'us' you'll know I'm referring to me and my tiny giraffe.
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