Anindilyakwa Arts
Alchemy curator Coby Edgar reflects on her time on Groote Eylandt/Island with Anindilyakwa Arts Centre artists as they created naturally dyed textiles for the exhibition at Powerhouse Castle Hill.
‘Everything we bush dye we feel our ancestors whispering and talking and singing along the wind’
I met Bronwyn Lobb from Agency and videographer Tim Hillier at Darwin Airport, with laksa in hand. They had been on several flights just to get there, the same as me the day before. It was pouring with rain and we had one more flight to catch, to Groote Eylandt, but the plane was delayed an hour.
Once airborne, our ride was through wet season storm clouds. A massive cumulonimbus was sweeping over the tiny airstrip on Groote. Our plane slid sideways in the strong crosswind on landing. Art Centre manager Sam Moody was there to collect us in the 4WD. She gathered our luggage on a metal trolley. Big, heavy, warm rain began to fall just as we piled into the car. Sam later admitted that there was a spike of fear watching our tiny plane land in the storm.
We arrived at the Anindilyakwa Arts Centre building on Umbakumba beach and were greeted by a group of 15 or so artists. Our day with them was jam-packed. Maicie Lalara went straight into work mode and told us to jump in the troopie along with two of the artists. No messing around! The women were in good spirits, ready and excited for the day ahead. The morning was spent driving around to find the bush dyes. Maicie gave us a tour of the spots she goes to get particular botanicals and described the colours they can achieve from those plants. On a sandy road along 4 Mile Outstation where the old plane landing strip was, she quickly pulled over.
‘Open your door! There is a mushroom right there.’
I looked. I looked again. All I could see was sandy dirt. Certain that she had seen the mushroom, Maicie jumped out. Flick flick flick in the sand. A mushroom with most of its body going deep into the soil revealed itself. It blended in with the sand but it’s at times like this that I feel humbled by how blind I can be – not seeing what is right in front of me, even with instructions!
Maicie crushed the mushroom and puffs of golden yellow dust plumed up into the air. That’s the golden colour. A mushroom. It’s a new dye, one that her mother in law, Noeleen Danjibana Lalara, found earlier in the year and it is the essence of alchemy, a seemingly magic process.
As we explored further, Tanielle Marawili and Sheanah Shakita Marawili sat in the back of the car with me – they are closer to my age than any of the other artists. We checked each other out, asked questions and exchanged shy giggles. Tanielle and Sheanah were very interested in the audio recording equipment, so I gave them a run down in the back of the 4WD. I realised that I had lost the equipment to the two young women as they went off to record their stories and interview the senior women in the group. It would be lovely content, true content. No frills interviewing, just young women playing journalist for the day.
Back at the Art Centre, the women had set up a production line while we were out finding the dyes and botanicals to create patterns. Several pots were heating on the fire with various mixtures of dyes while a flock of lorikeets chattered away above us. Patterns formed on the surface and then the bubbly boiling started. It's amazing, the scope of colours and textures that the artists can achieve in a single sitting.
Once the pieces had been rinsed out and hung to dry, the lengths of fabric flapped in the sea breeze, dry in a matter of minutes. Tanielle grabbed my attention with her eyes and guided me through the process. I helped her with some of the pattern making. We didn’t talk much but we communicated just fine. The mushrooms were crushed and added to the water. The fine dust fell between fingers, pooled in the palms of the artist's hands and settled on the surface of the water. The colour and texture of the mushroom dust looked like particles floating in the air when the sun first breaks light on a stinking hot day. We sat all afternoon, working under the shade of the trees.
Just as we were saying our thanks to the hosts for a big, busy and full day, one of the artists, Vera Lalara, started to yell out from the jetty. She walked towards us with a massive fish in hand for dinner, kids following her closely and excited about the catch. She was grateful her grandmother had caught her family some dinner, I was grateful to have spent the day amongst such joyful and generous women.
The next day on Groote was a mixed bag. There were two funerals and one death while we were there. That day one of the bodies was due to come back from Darwin. I was anxiously trying to find the balance between polite distance and getting in time with the women to firm up the details of the artwork before we were due to leave. They decided they could fit in a quick meeting in the morning, as I wouldn’t be able to see them the next day when we were booked to go back to Darwin.
Noleen Danjibana Lalara and Maicie Lalara met me at the Umbakumba art centre building. Both spoke at the same time.
‘How much time do you need? We got to go do funeral things so can’t take long talking please?’
We sat down. The two women were on the couch and chairs, I sat cross-legged on a cushion facing them.
‘All I need is to know is what story you have chosen for the work? What form are we making in fabrics?’
‘The Macassan sails. There is an old man from that Country overseas buried under the tamarind tree there. Just outside. We want to tell this story.’
To get the info I needed took about 30 seconds. Both parties were surprised at our direct and now finished meeting. The women said their goodbyes and left.
For the rest of the day Tim got to take his time filming Country. Senior artist and elder Elvis Bara gave us the keys to access his private beach. Just our footprints in the sand and big red cliffs watching over us in the distance. The wind was coming in from the west.
The next day we flew out. On landing in Darwin, Tim and Bron were greeted with another layover laksa delivered by my lovely family, who had come to pick me up. A few weeks later Leah Giblin went up to assist in the fabrication of the work. Leah was brought onto the team as a fabric magician to help us make our dreams come true. She worked with the women to assist them how to make what is in their heads come to life in fabric forms. The women pull out more of the story with Leah. This is pretty typical for artists (in my experience). It takes time for the full story to come out and it usually comes out when they are working. That's exactly what happened. Leah had a million options for them. The women were very decisive and very productive. They knew what they wanted.
Barra/Yinungkwura, the north-west wind, brings the Macassan mob. Then the Mamarika/Yiniyerrma takes them home, that wind goes south-east. When the season changes the winds shake hands.
The artworks are conceptually based on the two seasonal winds the Barra Wind/Yinungkwura (north-west) and the Mamarika wind/Yiniyerrma (south-east) that the Macassans travelled on to sail to and from Groote Eylandt pre-colonisation.
This story of international trade goes back to the 1700s and has shaped the cultural landscape of peoples from the Northern Territory. Dyeing with a variety of endemic roots, leaves, bark and berries, the silk is imprinted with the colours, textures and landscapes of Anindilyakwa country. It's not just a Macassan sail then. It's a story of seasons, trade, the land and the seas, with the hands of 22 women literally imbuing that silk with Country. I wonder where the winds will take them.
Contributing Artists
Noeleen Danjibana Lalara
Anindilyakwa/Umbakumba (NT)
Danjibana is a senior artist and lead Art and Cultural Officer at Anindilyakwa Arts, and a board member of Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) and Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists (ANKA). Working predominantly at the Anindilyakwa Art Gallery, Noeleen is an active participant in the Art Centre’s external and creative programs, passionate about sharing the Centre's story and empowering community to keep cultural practices strong. Coming to the Art Centre originally as an artist in 2018, Noeleen has worked hard over the past five years to become a key member of the Centre's team and strong advocate for Anindilyakwa people and culture.
Artistically, Danjibana is known for her great storytelling, often fusing contemporary and traditional art practises to articulate her telling.
Maicie Lalara
Anindilyakwa/Umbakumba
Maicie Lalara is a talented artist and arts and culture officer at Anindilyakwa Arts and is based in Umbakumba community, on the east coast of Groote Eylandt. Maicie is an emerging leader on Eylandt. She is a passionate advocate for Learning on Country programs, strongly feeling the importance of actively engaging younger generations with art and Country, connecting them with their ancestors through creative practice. Maicie’s acceptance into the competitive ANKA Arts Worker Extension Program in 2023 highlights her dedication to her craft and expansion of her professional skills.
One of the Art Centre’s most experimental artists, Maicie is well known for her Yilkwa (monster fish) – character filled aquatic weavings created from a combination of locally salvaged ghost net, mangkurrkwa (pandanus) and other found and traditionally harvested materials. Maicie is rarely found not creating, being a talented natural dyer, print maker and fibre artist.
Charlene Wanambi
Anindikyakwa, Yolngu Matha/FourMile Outstation
Charlene is a senior artist who lives at Four Mile Outstation, originally from Baniyala community in Blue Mud Bay. At Four Mile Outstation she learned from her grandmothers, Elsie and Maureen Bara, and teaches her daughter Sheanah.
Charlene is best known for her creative statement jewellery pieces, made from local shells and seeds collected across the island by her and her family. Charlene has also lived in Gove for several years doing sewing for work, before returning to Groote Eylandt in early 2022.
Tanielle Marawili
Yolngu Matha, Anindilyakwa/Four Mile Outstation, Baniyala
Tanielle Marawili is an emerging artist from Four Mile Outstation, who carries the rich background of her Yolngu upbringing in Baniyala. Guided by her family elders, she has begun working across a range of art practices, including weaving and painting. Currently, Tanielle is working closely with the Art Centre to develop her bush dye skills, working on collaborative bush dye projects, including the 2023 Country to Couture fashion range.
Meghan Wanambi
Anindilyakwa, Yolgnu Matha/Four Mile Outstation
Meaghan Wanambi, a talented artist from Four Mile Outstation, draws inspiration from her roots in the Baniyala Community of Blue Mud Bay. With a focus on painting, bush dye, and jewellery, Meaghan's artistic practice has flourished in collaboration with her sisters and family.
Exploring a diverse range of mediums, she paints on shells, bark and wood, carefully collected from the surrounding outstation. This year, she has also participated in several collaborative bush dye projects at the Umbakumba Art Centre.
Sheanah Marawili
Anindilyakwa, Yolgnu Matha/Four Mile Outstation
Sheanah Shakita Marawili is an arts and cultural officer at the Umbakumba Art Centre and a talented, emerging artist. Originally from Baniyala in Blue Mud Bay, she was first taught art skills from family on mainland and continues to learn with her senior female members at Four Mile Outstation.
Working closely with other artists at the Art Centre, both learning and teaching, Sheanah has quickly become talented at bush dye practices and wearable art pieces. Creating with locally collected seeds, seashells and dyes, Sheanah has become known for her intricate wearable art pieces inspired by traditional body adornment. Some of these pieces were shown in the 2023 Country to Couture collection.
Leshana Marawili
Yolgnu Matha, Anindilyakwa/Four Mile Outstation, Baniyala
Leshana Marawili is a young emerging artist from Four Mile Outstation. Guided by her family elders from Baniyala, as well as her sisters Sheanah and Tanielle, she embraces traditional art practices, including weaving and dyeing. Leshana is currently focused on building her bush dye skills and has been a part of key collaborative bush dye projects this year.
Elsie Bara
Anindilyakwa/Four Mile Outstation
Elsie Bara, a senior Anindilyakwa artist, lives with her family at Four Mile Outstation. Renowned as a master weaver and bush string artist, she is a key teacher for young artists, ensuring the continuity of these cultural traditions. Elsie is also skilled in bush dyeing and has contributed to various fashion lines at the Art Centre. Elsie finds immense joy in the process of creating baskets and gayuwa (dilly bag) at the Art Centre. Elsie credits her mother, who shared the secrets of gayuwa and basket weaving with her.
Charmaine Kerindun
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Charmaine is an arts and culture officer at Anindilyakwa Arts, situated at Angurugu Women's Art Centre. Born in Aurukun (QLD), she is a talented artist who explores diverse mediums such as jewellery making, printmaking, and weaving. Her artistic practice intertwines traditional and contemporary approaches, seen in her celebrated ‘new ways dillybags’, and her experimental bush dyeing produces distinct patterns in her work.
Committed to knowledge sharing in her arts worker role, she generously imparts her skills to other artists and actively engages in youth programs, ensuring the sharing of traditional skills for future generations.
Sanora Mamarika
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Sonora Mamarika, an emerging artist based in Angurugu Community, embraces a diverse range of traditional and contemporary artistic practices under the guidance of her mother, Charmaine. With a passion for learning, Sonora works in multiple disciplines, including bush dyeing, jewellery, weaving, and printing. Her lino prints on paper vividly depict stories of Country.
Sharna Wurramara
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Sharna Wurrumara, an arts and cultural Officer and key artist of the Angurugu community, is best known for her weaving. Guided by the knowledge passed down from her mothers and grandmothers, Sharna creates contemporary jewellery and baskets. She is also an experimental bush dyer and has contributed to several Art Centre fashion lines.
As an arts and cultural officer, she has played a vital role in teaching and supporting fellow artists. Sharna is committed to keeping culture and community strong in her role at the Art Centre.
Arrabella Wanambi
Anidilyakwa/Angurugu
Arrabella (Kearaisha) is an emerging artist from Angurugu community. Joining in early 2023, she has been committed to developing her skills in bush dye, weaving and lino printing. Arrabella draws inspiration from her family in Elcho Island (Galiwin'ku) who are established artists and cultural leaders and is inspired to learn a range of traditional arts practices from both her Elcho and Groote Eylandt families.
Patricia Lalara
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Patricia Lalara is a talented emerging artist, based in Angurugu Community. She specialises in lino printing, using intricate designs to tell stories. She has a strong eye for detail, using complex patterns to create fluid movement in her works. Beyond lino printing, she lends her bush dyeing skills to collaborative fashion and textile projects. Guided by her family, arts worker Charmaine, Patricia embraces learning a diverse range of traditional and contemporary artistic practices.
Vanessa Watt
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Vanessa is an emerging artist from Angurugu. She works in traditional art practices, including weaving and dyeing. Currently, she is developing her bush dye skills and has been part of key collaborative bush dye projects in 2023, including fashion.
Angela Robyn Williams
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Robyn Williams, originally from Mornington Island, is an artist and an arts and cultural officer at Angurugu. Taught by her grandmother, Robyn is a talented weaver who works across a range of fibre mediums, including with ghost net, pandanus and recycled materials. Robyn also experiments with lino printing and bush dye, reflecting stories of Country and community. As a dedicated arts worker, she plays a pivotal role in the sharing of cultural and artistic knowledge, including to her several daughters who are now following in her footsteps as artists themselves.
Maureen Bara
Anindilyakwa/Four Mile Outstation
Maureen Bara is a senior Anindilyakwa artist who lives at Four Mile Outstation. She works alongside her sister Elsie Bara, creating intricate weavings, bush string works and jewellery. Making artworks from her outstation, she has played a pivotal role in sharing knowledge and teaching other young family members to make art alongside her.
Raychelle Herbert
Anindilyakwa/Four Mile Outstation, Umbakumba
Raychelle is an emerging artist from Four Mile Outstation. Surrounded by several artistic family members and elders, she is learning to work in traditional art practices, including weaving and dyeing.
Finola Lalara
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Finola Lalara is an emerging artist from Angurugu community. Guided by her sister Maicie Lalara, a respected senior artist and arts worker, Finola has learned weaving and natural dyeing. Often, they work closely together creating bush dye pieces.
Marcia Mamarika
Anindilyakwa/Thompson Bay
Marcia Mamarika is a talented senior artist from Thompson's Bay Outstation, near Umbakumba Community. She works across fibre art, bush dyeing, printing and jewellery making. Marcia is best known for blending traditional and contemporary practices in her works, using materials like ghost net, recycled bush dyed silk and locally collected seeds, seashells and dyes. Marcia is a highly collaborative artist, contributing her bush dyeing skills to fashion and textile projects.
Vera Lalara
Anindilyakwa/Four Mile Outstation
Vera Lalara is a senior artist working from Four Mile Outstation. Engaging in various mediums such as weaving, carving, and bush dyeing, she shares her skills and passion for traditional art forms. Vera's practice has been significantly influenced by her mother-in-law, Elsie Bara, who has imparted the traditional knowledge of pandanus and bush string weaving. Together, they weave side by side, sharing the old ways. Vera plays a vital role in keeping the cultural practises alive and vibrant at Four Mile Outstation.
Jeanelle Mamarika
Anindilyakwa/Umbakumba
Jeanelle Mamarika is an arts and cultural officer at Umbakumba Art Centre and an accomplished weaver, taught by her aunty Edith Mamarika. She is highly skilled in making mangkurrkwa (pandanus) weavings, creating baskets, bowls, belts, and earrings. Jeanelle is a key teacher of these skills, passing down traditional practices to the younger generations in Umbakumba.
Working with the Art Centre for several years, Jeanelle has contributed to various Art Centre projects, including two Country to Couture collections and a Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards entry (2023).
Annabell Amagula
Anindilyakwa/Angurugu
Annabell Amagula is an important senior artist and arts and cultural officer from Angurugu Community. Highly skilled in traditional fibre crafts, she is a master string maker and weaver who teaches younger generations to keep cultural knowledge strong.
She is best known for her bright contemporary weavings, where she repurposes old fabrics, bush dyed silks and pandanus to create two-dimensional weavings. She teaches national and international audiences, facilitating ghost net weaving workshops at art fairs, festivals, schools and universities.
In 2019, she participated in an artist in residence program with Asialink in Indonesia where she delivered workshops and developed new works to creatively address environmental issues affecting sea life and coastal communities in Australia and Indonesia. Annabell has also been a central artist in developing contemporary bush dye practices collaborating on fashion projects in 2017–2023.
