Gill Dinh always knew she would be an artist. It was just a given, a natural expansion of her innate creative curiosity and acute eye that found the detail within the everyday. Growing up in Wollongong, Gill’s inspiration was sparked by her large family as one of four girls with an Italian mum and Vietnamese dad. “I always drew upon the things that most people overlooked” Gill describes.

“Conversations, birthday posters that my mum made for us, my dad’s signature, even the way people wrapped gifts.” A particular fascination with lettering soon emerged. “I was pedantic about my signature, and how my study notes looked. Things had to be aesthetically pleasing and intentional, as well as purposeful.”

Honing her skills with a Degree of Visual Arts swiftly followed by a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration, Gill soon became The Marker and has thrived as a lettering artist designing bespoke wedding and event stationery, and then a signwriter and mural painter, for almost a decade.

“Murals and signwriting change the scope of a room by creating art that really makes an impact. That’s when lettering became murals and signwriting, rather than just small formats.”

But Gill has always had another love, quietly but consistently simmering alongside her dedication to visual arts – cooking. Growing in a family with two distinct cultural heritages, food was a foundation of the Dinh household. “Whether for nourishment, or to feast, to learn, to help each other out in the kitchen, cooking is another form of expression and connection. It’s so much more than just cooking a meal or balancing flavour and seasoning.”

Gill says watching cooking shows with her family, sitting on the couch with her dad while he commented and critiqued, paved the way for a fascination that still sees her have cooking shows on all day every day if she’s at home. But one series was particularly magnetic.

“I love MasterChef. It’s about the people, about their passion, about their stories – and also about food.”

Over 15 seasons of carefully watching the journeys of the home cooks, Gill dreamed of entering and of the opportunity to immerse herself in her other passion, but shook it off as out of reach. But one night, on the spur of the moment, both Gill and her sister decided to enter, without any real expectation attached.

“I think I even got my application in at 11.59pm the day applications closed,” Gill laughs. Unfortunately her sister didn’t get through, but Gill did – all the way to the top 22 contestants in the series currently airing.

As a natural competitor who thrives on challenge and change, Gill says she has grown so much throughout and still finds it surreal to be part of something she has watched and loved for so long.

“It’s an 85% mental game. It’s equally exhilarating and exhausting, but the most rewarding experience. it is honestly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Learning from other contestants, the judges and by immersing herself in study and practise every day in a high-calibre competitive environment has helped her hone her skills and push herself even harder. “There’s been blood, sweat and many tears. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be a crying meme.”