Rickie Martin

Rickie Martin is a Yorta Yorta and Pairrebeenne /Trawlwoolway clan man who started drawing and painting at the age of three under the guidance of his grandmother in Parkes NSW. He has continued to explore other mediums and create constantly since then.

Rickie now lives in Melbourne and in 2022 discovered glass in the Glaas Inc First Nations Glass Workshop Program. He then went on to complete the Certificate III in Designed Glazing and has recently completed the Certificate IV also. He is completing the Diploma Visual Arts Glass in 2025/26.

In 2024 Rickie was awarded the Melbourne Polytechnic Indigenous Student of the Year Award for his dedication and excellence.

In a very short time since learning glass art techniques Rickie has progressed to a very high level of creating glass art infused with his culture.

Rickie has completed three public art works which will be unveiled at Melbourne Polytechnic's Collingwood campus in the next few months.

Rickie has been commissioned by Canberra Glassworks to work on an artwork with Robert Fielding. To start this project, Rickie travelled to Mimili in the APY Lands with Tom Rowney from Canberra in late August 2025. During the 10 days there, Rickie taught other Indigenous artists how to leadlight and other glass techniques. Robert will travel to Melbourne to work with Rickie in December 2025, and the artwork will be unveiled in 2026.

Rickie is the Lead Teacher for the Glaas Inc First Nations Glass Workshop Program and is actively involved in the organisation and management of the Program, as well as training other First Nations artists to be teachers and mentors in the Program. Rickie is the Glaas Inc First Nations Advisor and has been instrumental in expanding the Workshop and Exhibition Program.

Rickie is also an inspirational activist for First Nations struggles and human rights for all and uses his art to raise awareness, to comment on issues and to inspire all to work together to create a better future.