Griffith budding artist Maydina Penrith is looking to brush up her weaving skills at next Saturday’s weaving workshop hosted by Kerri Weymouth at the Waddi Housing Advancement Corporation in neighbouring town Darlington Point.
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The workshop, in celebration of this year’s NAIDOC Week theme – Because of her, we can! – looks to not only provide a means in helping to preserve a part of Indigenous culture, but also to comprise another element known as “women’s business”; a sacred concept for Indigenous women.
Basket weaving, like much of Indigenous culture, is a fading art and Ms Penrith wants to learn to help preserve the skill and expertise.
“I haven’t done it before because I haven’t had the opportunity to sit down and learn, but I was very keen to do it because a lot of my cousins have done it,” Ms Penrith said.
“I have cousins who have won national awards for their weaving, and when I saw the event come up I was very motivated to try.”
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The weaving work can be quite intricate, in fact the bottom concentric circle of the basket can take hours.
“It would take most of the time to get it started.”
When asked why weaving, or basket weaving was important to Indigenous people, Griffith Regional Art Gallery Coordinator Raymond Wholohan said it comes down to “women’s business”.
“Traditionally, it’s ‘women’s business’, so it gave women an opportunity to discuss things that are important to women, and a process to do it,” Mr Wholohan said.
“And I think it can be quite meditative too.”
“It’s a coming together of inter-generational women to share knowledge and skills,” Ms Penrith said.
Mr Wholohan said textiles is important to the people of the Riverina.
“All demographics – Indigenous, non-Indigenous – textiles means a lot to people here in the Riverina.
“And you don’t need to have an amazing talent – once you learn some weaving techniques, then you can go away and take it somewhere else and make it yourself.”
He also said it’s important for the gallery to facilitate something meaningful for the community, “in the name of harmony”.
“It’s why we chose weaving.”
He said people who attend the workshop will be invited to exhibit their weaving artwork to the community Aboriginal art exhibition at the end of the year.
Ms Penrith said she is excited to attend the event and learn some new skills.
While the event itself has been booked out, people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander are encouraged to submit works to the Murru exhibition to be held from November 9 to December 2.
