Stories of weaving, art, life, history.
Stories that speak from a deeply rich culture.
Stories of people, families, communities, ancestors, country: of a rich heritage that is tens of thousands of years old.
Stories told in bark paintings, sculptural pieces, weaving, pottery, fashion, modern expressions of ancient knowledge.
Stories told in a contemporary way.
The iconic Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair — affectionately known as DAAF — had a very new look this year.
The impact of COVID-19's border closures, social distancing measures and the importance of keeping communities safe meant the recent 14th annual DAAF was held online for the first time.
Incorporating a public program, which included online cultural performances, artists’ workshops and panel discussions, a Cultural Keepers Program that brought together indigenous curators from across the country and from international First Nations peoples facilitating a rich exchange of ideas and stories, and the inaugural National Indigenous fashion Awards (NIFA), DAAF 2020 was an exciting, but novel "virtual fair" experience.
It showcased the diversity and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture from remote community art centres up north to our own Kaiela Arts here in Shepparton.
As Larrakia, Bardi and Yanuwa woman from the Top End of the Northern Territory, Franchesca Cubillo notes, these art centres — often the focal point in a community — have “fostered, supported, encouraged and developed this art form that had already existed for tens of thousands of years”.
Cubillo, senior curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at the National Gallery of Australia, describes these community art centres as a “wonderful entry point into understanding who and what is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and art”.
This art extends to expressions of culture in fashion: in designs of fabric and garments; in the deep cultural meaning and adornment of wearable art; in intricate pandanas-weaving of hats and dilly bags; and in the glowing yellows of natural dyes.
The National Indigenous Fashion Awards celebrate the stories, innovation, diversity and ethical practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leading and emerging artists and fashion designers.
Winner of the Textile Design Award, 26-year-old Kieren Karritpul, from the Nauyia community near Daly River in the Northern Territory, so expressively described how his designs were inspired by the stories and way of life taught to him through his elders:
“I want you to see that in my art, there is a story behind it that's been passed down from my elders. I want to show my culture,” Kieren said.
“When I was a kid, I used to go out with my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother out in the bush, hunting, fishing or collecting weaving materials with them.
“I used to sit and watch them do every little weave, every little hole, and I thought to myself ‘they were weaving fish net to show me to be humble and patient.
“My mother raised me in a good way and that's like a fish net: you do every little hole slowly and I thought to myself ‘she was weaving me’ — and that's how I became who I am today.”
Design steeped in an ancient, rich culture.
What a unique gift to us all.
● To view the National Indigenous Fashion Awards on SBS on Demand and learn more about the exciting designs and designers who brought their stories to life visit: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/
● To find out more about the artists and activities of Kaiela Arts Aboriginal Art Centre in Shepparton visit: https://kaielaarts.org.au
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