Our agency began in 2016 in Melbourne, the city of art and good coffee. Over the years we have worked with both big multinational companies and tiny local startups.
Beside commissioned works, we spend plenty of energy in personal creative projects from painting to photography. For us, creativity isn't just our job, it's our way of life.
We like working with brands whose values match our own, and we are always on the lookout for conscious, compassionate and quirky clients to add to our wolf pack.
Graphic design, illustration, photography, branding & packaging is our jam. What’s yours?
Acalia is an independent creative agency that brings together talent from around the globe. We are dreamers, makers and world shakers. Bring us your wildest dreams, and together, we’ll make them reality.
Nancy Chalmers
Creative Director, Senior Graphic Designer & Illustrator
Somewhere inside this unicorn's brain is where the magic happens. Nancy has made a career out of making ordinary things look amazing. If you need to sell ice to Eskimos, Nancy will design some kickass packaging that not only stops those Eskimos in their tracks, but makes ice look like the hottest, most on-trend thing this side of the North Pole. 20 years ago, back in the rad 90s in Australia, when Ken Done was hot and magazines were the entertainment media of choice (before everything went digital) Nancy left school wondering how to make a living as an artist. So she went into design. Since then, she has worked for some of Australia's most popular fashion and lifestyle magazines, including Real Living, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Gourmet Traveller. She has won several industry awards, been called upon to speak at prestigious design conferences and taught design at some of Melbourne’s leading design institutes.
Dushan Jayasinghe
Account Manager, Web Designer & Photographer
Dushan is the machine that processes all client requests and keeps our creative team from drifting away with the fairies too often. An actual threat to workflow. Over 10 years in management roles has turned him into an expert at delegating, deadline wrangling, customer satisfaction and generally getting sh*t done! Also known as Design Pimp and Hawk-eye, he keeps a close watch on the digital landscape, has his finger on the pulse, and is well-versed in the the art of handling creatives. Heading up the entire left-brain department of Acalia Digital, the man also knows his way around a camera and the back end of a website. When he’s not behind the lens or tinkering away on his laptop, he’ll be trying to break the speed of light on his motorcycle.
Rebecca Benfield
Art Director, Food Stylist & Illustrator
If being an artist is the soul’s way to make life more beautiful, then our Art Director, Rebecca is an artist through and through. With a degree in biology and herbal sciences, it is no surprise that she weaves the element of nature into all her creative projects. As a forward thinking visionary, she has lead eco-conscious community events centred around creativity and wellness. Her artistic style embodies the feminine essence with a touch of mythical whimsy that connects oneself to the inner child. Rebecca's philosophy bridges art and medicine as she uses her talents to connect mind, body, and spirit in a holistic approach to life as well as business.
Jarryd Sinclair
Filmmaker & Photographer
Jarryd is a Melbourne based freelance Filmmaker & Photographer. His passion for filmmaking and photography has stemmed from years of travel across the globe. Jarryd’s work is heavily influenced by his love for action sports and adventure, complimented by his strong desire to tell a story through the still and moving image. In the Australian winter, Jarryd works on the Media team at Falls Creek Ski Resort. Within this role he creates and curates winter themed content for the Ski Resort working with brands such as BMW, Nickelodeon, Dragon and Stag wines. His portfolio of work covers a broad range of Wedding, Action, Lifestyle & Commercial projects. Although located in Melbourne, Australia, he is readily available to travel internationally for projects.
Danii Forde
Photographer
A strong contender to steal this year’s ‘Face of Acalia’ title, Danii is the latest addition to our wolf pack. We literally had to scale mountains to find someone with her talent (the snowy Australian Alps in fact) and we couldn’t be happier with our discovery. With her eye for beautiful light and delicious angles, Danii helps us create breath-taking content for our Aussie clients. She also makes us giggle our way through photoshoots, helpfully pointing out when something looks “a bit How’s Your Father?” and pinching Tupperware containers filled with leftovers from our set locations and test kitchens. When she’s not behind the lens, wiggling backdrops or holding up a bounce in her awesome thrifted overalls, you can find her activating her best life in the snowfields or working on her side-hustle – beautiful handmade leather bags, totes and clutches for DelaViktoria.