Featuring some of Australia’s most renowned female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, leading practitioners in their fields of weaving and shell stringing.
This year’s NAIDOC theme: Because of her, we can! celebrates the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made - and
Their innovative works highlight the unbroken practices of our First Nations women and their deep cultural connections and knowledge systems. These practices include harvesting and processing organic and contemporary fibres, feathers and shells to create intricate bodywear for adornment.
The exhibition also features domestic fishing implements made from organic materials.
Artists featured in the exhibition:
- Lena Yarinkura
- Dulcie Greeno
- Maryanne Sebasio
- Murial Maynard (deceased)
- Ais Bero (deceased)
- Lola Greeno
- Mavis Warrngilna Ganambarr
- Rosemary Gamajun Mamuniny
Rosemary Manuniny from Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island) Northern Territory is an exceptional fibre artist who learnt the art of fibre work as a young woman from her grandmother, mother and father. She is best known today for her work with feathers.
The woven fibre and feathered skirt demonstrates the use of traditional knowledge and techniques of weaving being used in a contemporary context bringing them into a new light and allowing the artist the opportunity to translate her techniques into a new form.
This woven skirt from Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island) was produced for the inaugural Australian Indigenous Fashion Week (AIFW) in 2014.
Kurrajong, pandanas bush string, feathers and natural dyes. ANMM Collection 00054382
Image: © Rosemary Gamajun Mamuniny/Copyright Agency, 2018. Woven skirt from Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island).