‘I know where I come from thanks to my stepmother, family and elders. I’m so proud for being an Aboriginal artist, to share my culture with you and your good friends that have come a long way from their homes across the sea. What a great time it was – best! – to learn something new.’ (Participant, Fowlers Bay, 2016)

The rich experiences of the past week made me realise how fortunate I am to be able to combine my art and research activities. During the art camp ‘Artists from the edges of the world’ in Fowlers Bay, South Australia, I had the opportunity to work with about fourty Aboriginal, Australian and international artists. We shared making and storytelling in moments that were rich and layered, and the collaborative felted textiles we created. Twelve years ago, during an artist residency in Finland and Lapland, I learned how to felt, and this week I had the opportunity to share my skills with Anangu artists. This was my way of giving something back to the Anangu women who shared their weaving skills and culture with international visitors.

We enjoyed sharing and transferring simple skills while having fun! During the first two days, we produced several colourful individual pieces, allowing the makers to learn basic felting skills and familiarise themselves with the material (Australian Merino wool). Women made these small felts around the themes of change and how women cope with change. On the third day, we worked together to produce two large participatory pieces around the theme of togetherness. The Anangu artists presented a design that we created as a group. At the same time, the second felt allowed participants to add individual symbols and messages, resulting in a vibrant and dynamic two-dimensional felt. The outcome of the felted textiles will be stitched together to form a larger piece for the exhibition.

By Melanie Sarantou

photo credits: Daria Akimenko