Was there something in the water in Darlinghurst in the early nineties? Down a lane, Architecture student Jeremy was forging a new kind of self-taught art. He landed an Editorial Illustrator gig at SMH, then conceived ‘Studio Jeremyville’, a modern model of an artist studio business.

While on a nearby corner, an art school dropout named Bill was putting his cooking skills and self-employed ambitions into play, creating ‘bills’, which was to become a sort of blueprint for the contemporary Australian café.

Jeremyville’s creative world of public art, giant sculptures, animation and publishing now spans worldwide. Alongside partners Megan and Neil, they’ve created installations for Brooklyn Museum, and projects with Colette and Lacoste through to Adidas and Apple.

There are now 19 bills spanning Australia, the UK, Japan and Korea. They bring the hospitality balance that Bill Granger has given Sydney for decades; approachable meets high quality. And they deliver Bill’s OG creation, Avocado
on Toast. Biggest café phenomenon outside of the Flat White!

Now that we’ve established there were Originality Ions/Entrepreneur Salts in the Darlo water, let’s get to this here Art Bag Project edition.

Jeremyville has created a cracker for us, inspired by his now local when in Sydney – bills Bondi. If he’s ‘A Mess Without Coffee’, we reckon it’s not so much because he’s missing caffeine, but because community interactions fuel his art. “I love the hello that sets you up for the day. The sparking conversations. The way cafes show the soul of an area.” says Jeremy.

Cheers to that, and to these two inspiring businesses, both rocking a first name, and walking to the beat of their own drum.