The women of Maningrida and surrounding homelands use a combination of locally found seeds, bone and shells to make a variety of jewellery including necklaces. earrings and bracelets. Many of the artists use complex patterns and designs to make their beautiful creations.
Name: Freda Ali Wayartja
Language: Burarra
Community: Maningrida
Biography:
Freda Wayartja is a master weaver and cultural leader and educator. She is from Yilan Oustation a Burarra-Martay speaking caln, one of the east-side od Maningrida language groups who specialise in the customary conical dilly bags, woven string bags and mats. She is particularly renowned for the use of mirlarl, (malaisia scandens), a type of vine that grows in the coastal jungle. The use of this vine to manufacture fish traps, barriers and large strong dillybags is unique to this region.
She is a cultural leader in her community, teaching younger generations of weavers and also regularly leading demonstrations and tours for visitors and tourists.
In 2022 alongside her sister and artistic collaborator Bonnie Burarngarra, Freda won the Telstra NATSIAA Wandjuk Marika 3D Sculpture Award for their piece An-jucheciya (tradition conical fish trap). A meticulously woven three meter long fish trap made from Jungle vine,
Wak Wak “This is two black crows, baby and mother, there are living in the waterhole there, near to Kurrurldul. It’s a dream, longtime, but it’s still there. We call the crow Wak.” – Melba Read more…
