Feature... In a United Fashion
We are living in an exciting time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander design practice, a shift is taking place that positions Indigenous artists and makers at the centre of a creative amelioration of the sector. Creative industries such as fashion and architecture are enjoying an influx of engagement with Indigenous artists, incorporating cultural knowledge and informing structural change. Senior voices in our communities are being seen as fresh and vital as they enter this new dynamic.
Words by Hannah Presley
Hannah Presley is Curator at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art.
Fashion is a notoriously difficult industry to navigate for First Nations people. The power has always been in the hands of the fashion labels, leaving so many valid concerns around representation, copyright and appropriation unanswered. More recently we are seeing true collaborations and meaningful relationships within this industry - the successes are being led by Aboriginal artists.
In 2017, Lisa Waup, a Melbourne based Aboriginal printmaker and multi-media artist, began working with Ingrid Verner of fashion label Verner. The collections they have since created have united their thoughtful designs and honoured Lisa’s cultural influences. By drawing on Lisa’s intricate weaving practice and her bold line work, they have created runway shows that have gained well deserved attention, most notably with an international runway for Hong Kong’s Business and Design Week. By finding commonalities in their practices, they have created wearable designs that are true to Lisa’s cultural and artistic values and are informed by Verner’s slow fashion ideals. The Lisa Waup x Verner collaboration shows how working with integrity yields exceptional results.
Lisa Waup x Verner. Photo by Phebe Schmidt.
Gorman x Mangkaja. Stylist: Lisa Gorman. Photo: Charles Fréger. Shot on location at Fitzroy Crossing, WA.
“Ultimately design is playing an integral role in telling our stories and sharing cultural insight with the world and we are seeing some of the greatest works coming from skill sharing and collaborations in this area.”
Building a respectful partnership that honours artists' diverse cultures and invests in their stories appears to be at the foundation of the new Gorman x Mangkaja collection. Launched at this year’s Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, the new collection is led by the senior artists of Mangkaja Arts in Fitzroy Crossing and facilitated by arts centre manager Belinda Cook. The collaboration came about through lengthy negotiations that resulted in more control and transparency of the design process and more agency for the senior artists involved. The Copyright Agency Limited played a key role in negotiating this project, showing us what can be achieved by opening up the process to Indigenous collaborators.
Maree Clarke is a Mutti Mutti/Yorta Yorta and Boon Wurrung/Wemba Wemba woman based in Melbourne. Maree is an innovative artist, curator and designer who creates powerful cultural statements within her creative practice. The core of Maree’s practice is based on the continuation of her culture and this focus saw her revitalise the ancient practice of Thung-ung Coorang (kangaroo teeth necklace) making. Maree got her start in the art world by creating jewellery and her recent work with the NGV design store has taken this practice to another level, combining her love of ancient techniques and applying new technology. This project saw her create a series of jewellery pieces based on her kangaroo teeth necklaces and feather adornments all made using 3D printing. The series was close to sold out on the night of the launch, demonstrating the public’s support for such projects.
Maree Clark, Thung-ung Coorang, 2018. Stylist: Natalie Turnball. Photo: Daniel Hermann-Zoll. Image supplied by NGV design store.
Nationally, we are seeing development in Indigenous artistic practice that is being bolstered by more public interest. Artists from remote art centres are enjoying more access to mentorships that are seeing new relationships formed with professional artists who are sharing their skills. Opportunities to learn new processes and explore new materials are resulting in extraordinary work, as artists bring with them their solid foundation of cultural and artistic expression and push it beyond the expected.
A new project between Ninuku Arts and JamFactory is energising the artists of the remote art centre based at Kalka on the APY Lands. This exciting artist led project is bringing the well-known painters of Ninuku together with skilled glass artists at JamFactory to create colourful glass vessels that are being exhibited as part of the 2019 Tarnanthi Festival. Though glass is an unknown medium to the Ninuku artists it is providing a new vehicle to tell their Tjurrukpa stories. Each glass bubble is seen as a blank canvas for artists to make their own with an array of enamel paints, the artists then work with experts at JamFactory for the final process creating beautiful sculptural vessels. Projects like these are highlighting the importance of spaces like JamFactory to support artists to push their practice and see potential in new creative areas.
This next level of experimentation into new materials and forms is leading to a re-invigoration of the whole creative sector. Artists that are well known for certain styles are branching out and exploring new ways to tell stories and flex their artistic muscles. Ultimately design is playing an integral role in telling our stories and sharing cultural insight with the world and we are seeing some of the greatest works coming from skill sharing and collaborations in this area.
Walka Waru: Ninuku Kalawatjanga ungu painta
Warm Works: Ninuku painting inside glass Ninuku Arts is currently on show at JamFactory until 1 December.
Nyanu Watson, Tjulpu, 2019. Photo: Grant Hancock.