Alison is a quiet observer. She often walks gently around the community with her daughter on her shoulders looking at nature. Something she has been paying attention to is the movement of light on the trees. ‘I see the colour on the tree and I see it is always changing. When the sun is going down, colour is moving all over the tree’. Her paintings are inspired by the light catching the shifts and wandering lines of the bark.
This beautiful lampshade is made with traditional Bush string made from the fibres between the bark and the trunk of the kurrajong tree. Once harvested from the jungle the fibres are dyed with roots, barks, leaves or fruits making the natural dyes. They are then rolled into this strong symmetrical handmade string and woven and knotted using techniques which originally bound together traditional Yolngu objects such as string bags and fishing nets and traps and used to make handles for carrying woven bags or used in ceremonial objects.
The weavers of Ramingining in Northeast Arnhem Land usually create traditional ceremonial and ritual objects working together as a group to harvest materials and develop work yet each with their own contemporary colourful and unique designs. This is one of the first times they have embraced making objects which are not traditional Yolngu objects and the strength of their identity as late career Yolngu Artists is distilled in these lampshades.
Exquisite craftsmanship manually transferred from Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunties is used to create these stunning lampshades which look amazing with lighting projecting the rhythms and patterns or without lighting to appreciate the colour, the intricacies and detail of the design.
This beautiful lampshade is made with traditional Bush string made from the fibres between the bark and the trunk of the kurrajong tree. Once harvested from the jungle the fibres are dyed with roots, barks, leaves or fruits making the natural dyes. They are then rolled into this strong symmetrical handmade string and woven and knotted using techniques which originally bound together traditional Yolngu objects such as string bags and fishing nets and traps and used to make handles for carrying woven bags or used in ceremonial objects.
The weavers of Ramingining in Northeast Arnhem Land usually create traditional ceremonial and ritual objects working together as a group to harvest materials and develop work yet each with their own contemporary colourful and unique designs. This is one of the first times they have embraced making objects which are not traditional Yolngu objects and the strength of their identity as late career Yolngu Artists is distilled in these lampshades.
Exquisite craftsmanship manually transferred from Grandmothers, Mothers and Aunties is used to create these stunning lampshades which look amazing with lighting projecting the rhythms and patterns or without lighting to appreciate the colour, the intricacies and detail of the design.
This is a story from the old times, about how Yolngu ancestors used to live. Here the men are in the Arafura Swamp, catching the fish with a drag net, through the flooded plains and into the fish trap.
Yolŋu weavers of Arnhem Land create utilitarian, ceremonial, and decorative pieces using naturally sourced materials. This mat is made from young Pandanus spiralis leaves, harvested with a wooden hook, stripped of prickles, and dried to create strong, resilient fibres. These fibres are then twisted, coiled, or woven using traditional techniques to produce both functional and decorative mats.
Bula’bula weavers exclusively use natural dyes, derived from locally sourced roots, leaves and grasses. These pigments are extracted and infused into pandanus fibres by boiling over an open fire, producing the rich, vibrant colours characteristic of contemporary Yolŋu weavings.
Traditionally, Nganiyal (conical mats) functioned as insect screens when erected and as seating mats when folded, playing an important role in both daily life and ceremonial practices. Today, Yolŋu artists create a variety of shapes, including flat, round, and oblong mats. These non-traditional styles and the use of bright colours became more common after Missionaries began commissioning pieces in this style.
Dhawurr, or Batjbarra, is a traditional fishing method used by Indigenous people in the Arafura Swamp and surrounding wetlands of Arnhem Land. Yolŋu now prefer the modern fishing methods of reels and bait, however, weavers continue to make Batjbarra for cultural conservation and to be sold as decorative pieces.
When used for practical purposes, the Batjbarra was placed into the river with the opening facing oncoming fish. The woven tunnel trapped the fish with the weave tight enough to prevent escape but loose enough to allow water to freely flow through. The traps tapered so that when they were submerged, the water pressure wedged them into place.
The primary material used in this piece is the young, green leaves of the Pandanus spiralis tree, that were harvested using a long wooden hook. The leaves are stripped of their prickles, with the smaller fibres being dried to produce a strong, resilient material. These fibres are then twisted, coiled, or combined using various techniques to create the fish trap.
Bula’bula weavers exclusively use natural dyes, derived from locally sourced roots, leaves and grasses. These pigments are extracted and infused into pandanus fibres by boiling over an open fire, producing the rich, vibrant colours characteristic of contemporary Yolŋu weavings.
Artists use this title when they are depicting their Country. It might be a representation of a particular place or of different aspects of that area. The artist uses a combination of colour and design to indicate variations in the landscape. Inspiration is drawn from all elements of Country and might include bush tucker, water holes, meeting places, rock formation, birds or animals.
Yurpiya is painting a place called Anumara, which is a place near Irrunytju (Wingellina) in WA. This is Yurpiya’s family’s country. Anumara is also the name for a kind of caterpillar and Anumara is the tjukurpa (dreaming) place for this caterpillar. This caterpillar lives in the grass and can be eaten if the grass it eats is removed. The place shares the same colours of the caterpillar – brown, yellow and pale green. Keeping this place safe will ensure that the caterpillars multiply.
Artists use this title when they are depicting their Country. It might be a representation of a particular place or of different aspects of that area. The artist uses a combination of colour and design to indicate variations in the landscape. Inspiration is drawn from all elements of Country and might include bush tucker, water holes, meeting places, rock formation, birds or animals.
