Articles - 28 July 2007

The inaugural Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

Showcasing art and craft from Aboriginal Australia

The inaugural Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair is taking place at the Holiday Inn Esplanade just prior to the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) from the 8th to the 10th of August, 2007.

Twenty community based arts centres from Arnhem Land, Kimberley region and Central Australia are presenting a wide range of artists and art forms, offering a unique opportunity to discover and enjoy the diversity of styles and artistic expressions present in these regions. Paintings on canvas, bark paintings, timber and metal sculptures, limited edition prints, didgeridoos but also fibre art and jewellery will be on display at the fair. View images

The art of fibre is shared by many artists across the Top End and Central Australia. In Arnhem Land, the art of fibre has a long history that goes back to prehistoric times. The rich body of rock art from the west-central escarpment plateau west of the Maningrida township is evidence of the importance of fibre objects both for utilitarian and ceremonial purposes.

The instrumental role of fibre is also reflected in many myths and stories from the Dreamtime concerning fish traps, armbands, mats, baskets and ceremonial items. Traditionally, both men and women made fibre artefacts but each tended to make items relevant to their respective role as hunters and gatherers and as participants in ceremonies. Over the last century, innovations have occurred in the making of fibre items though external influences and through the creative development of the artists experimenting with materials, colours and combination of different weaving techniques. The manipulation of the variety of weaving techniques has been instrumental in the search for new forms and creation of unusual baskets.

At the fair, Maningrida Art & Culture, Bula'bula Arts, Injalak Arts & Crafts and Elcho Islands Arts & Craft arts centres are presenting a fine selection of fibre art, ranging from coil baskets to fish traps and fibre sculptures representing animals from the bush. For example, artist Robyn Djunginy from Ramingining is exhibiting some of her famous woven bottles at the Bula'bula stand along with some baskets by young fibre artist Marley Djangarri who has also a colorful coil basket in NATSIAA this year.

From Maningrida Arts & Culture, artists such as Lena Yarinkura and Gloreen Campion are exhibiting twined pandanus bush mice, pigs and camp dogs. More traditional fibre items such as fish traps and dilly bags are also present on the Maningrida Arts & Culture stand. Burarra and Kuninjku people are particularly renowned for making fish traps. Burarra make conical fish traps called jina-bakara, using pandanus (pandanus spiralis) or jungle vine. The Kuninjku people traditionally make two sorts of conical fish traps, one called Mandjabu made from milil (Malaisia scandens) a vine and a smaller one called Manyilk Mandjabu made from the grass manyilk (cyperus javanicus).

Today some artists use fish trap forms as the basis for sculptural works of art. Artists innovate with forms and colours, using diverse weaving techniques to make sculptures that have their origin in the traditional fish trap techniques. The utilitarian purpose of the fish trap is no longer the main focus of such production.

Artists re-explore traditional techniques to create contemporary and innovative works of art. From Central Australia, the famous group of Tjanpi weavers are showcasing some of their great baskets as well as offering weaving workshops during the fair where visitors can come and sit down with Central and Western Desert Anangu women and learn to weave a basket. Their baskets are made from the desert grasses minarri and wangurmu and are bound with plant dyed raffia. The same group of weavers won the 22nd Telstra Art Award with their full size 'Tjanpi Toyota'.

Necklaces made from shells, seeds and beads are another art and craft form well represented at the fair. The Tjanpi group is also renowned for their necklaces made with native seeds from the desert environment. Common species include red seeds (coral tree), eucalyptus nut and sandalwood seeds.

In Arhnem Land, jewelry makers use shells and seeds as well as feathers to create earrings, necklaces and armbands. Elcho Island Art & Craft and some of Maningrida Arts & Culture artists use contemporary techniques for threading and clasping as workshops with artists from other parts of Australia have taken place over the years. For example, in Maningrida, jewellry maker Elsie Marmanga uses memory wire to make armbands and necklaces made from shells and seeds. Elsie Marmanga's work is represented in the traveling exhibition Freestyle: new Australian design for living. Many of the latest creations are on display at the fair.

Many other art forms including paintings on canvas are represented at the fair through other arts centres such as Papunya Tula Artists, Warmun Art Centre, Warlukurlangu Artists, Kayili Artists, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts and many others. The fair is only open to arts centres to ensure that communities have the opportunity to promote and exhibit their work in Darwin at the time of the arts awards. As Cecilia Alfonso, manager of Warlukurlangu artists said: "This event will provide a very unique and most importantly a very inclusive opportunity for us not only to market our artwork at this important time but also for us to network with a wide range of clients, curators and the general Aboriginal art loving public."

It will also provide visitors with the opportunity to meet artists and arts workers from many remote communities.

It is hoped that the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair will become an annual event to coincide with NATSIAA, becoming a new rendez-vous for art and craft lovers.

Apolline Kohen
Arts Director, Maningrida Arts & Culture

Apolline Kohen is currently Arts Director at Maningrida Arts & Culture, and is responsible for its exhibition program and the daily operations of the arts centre.

Also see: 716 craft·design Issue #23 August 2007
Special issue on Indigenous craft and design