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Long Neck turtle and Saratoga

This fabric was created using the linocut fabric printing technique, which has been refined at Bábbarra Women’s Centre since it was introduced in the mid-1990s.

The Lino tile is carved by the artist at Bábbarra Designs. It is printed on fabric by hand using a variety of colours and layers. The linocut technique ensures each textile is a one-off, limited edition piece.

The fabric is colour-safe and can be thrown into a washing machine. Repeated use will soften the fabric, and some fading will occur over time. 

Bábbarra Women’s Centre supports the economic independence of Indigenous women in the Arnhem Land community of Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia. Designs created by the women at Bábbarra reflect strong cultural knowledge, which is passed down to younger generations through their textile design practice.

‘Themes in our artwork almost exclusively come from our Country and cultural connection. Our deep relationship with the land and seas of our customary clan estates strongly defines and governs the social, cultural, spiritual and territorial aspects of our lives.’

Bábbarra Designs Artist Statement

Categories: Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation

Name: Sonia Namarnyilk

Language: Ndjébbana

Community: Maningrida

Biography:

Since the 1980s women artists have increasingly become involved in the mediums of painting and carving. While women had previously helped their husbands to complete the more arduous cross-hatching components of bark painting, during this period they were encouraged both by their kin and external art advisers to create works under their own authorship. Sonia Namarnyilk (1969) learned in this way from her husband Djorlom and she has developed a reputation for strong form and bold designs. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. 

The artist is also a designer at Babbarra Women’s Centre, a women-centred enterprise that specialises in the production of screen and lino-printed fabrics. Common subject matter for Mamarnyilk includes yawkyawk (female water spirits), turtles and barramundi.

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