Mandy Ord is a Melbourne based illustrator and cartoonist with a long history of self publishing as well as having a number of published books includingBrickdog & Other Stories with Pluto Press, NYand Rooftopswith Finlay Lloyd, Galapagoswith Glom Press, Sensitive Creatureswith Allen & Unwin and her most recent book When One Person Dies The Whole World Is Overwith Brow Books. In 2012 Sensitive Creatures received a White Ravens award at the Bologna Book Fair. Mandy’s illustrated children’s book Chalk Boy,published by Allen & Unwin and written by Margaret Wild was shortlisted in 2019 by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Mandy’s passion for the medium of comics has inspired her to present lectures and workshops to schools, universities, animation departments, and community groups across Australia and internationally as well as exhibiting her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions. She has collaborated with writers, poets, musicians, local councils, audio units for online content and theatre companies. She has performed her comic stories as part of slam poetry events and been a speaker at festivals including the Melbourne Writers Festival, Graphic, the Brisbane Writers Festival and the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Artist statement—
Carpet Nits reflects a time of life when exploring disused spaces and creative experimentation was the norm. The story speaks of the lack of freedom to move about the world experienced by some in regards to finding a safe spaces in which to rest. It is about pushing through a dilemma to find an imaginative yet practical solution. I never let anything deter my curiosity or interupt my art practice, not even the nits.