Australia’s first major survey of contemporary Indigenous Australian fashion will be launched at Bendigo Art Gallery in September, 2020. Created exclusively for and by Bendigo Art Gallery, Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion will shine a light on Australia’s leading First Nations creatives, and a design movement that is fast becoming a national fashion phenomenon. Featuring the work of Indigenous artists and designers from the inner city to remote desert art centres, Piinpi will highlight the strength and diversity of the rapidly expanding Indigenous fashion and textile industry. Acknowledgement of Country Bendigo Art Gallery would We would like to extend that like to acknowledge and appreciation to all First Nations extend our appreciation to Peoples today who continue the Traditional Custodians to fight for their sovereignty. of the land upon which the Gallery stands, the Dja Dja We express our gratitude Wurrung Peoples of the Kulin for the sharing of this land, Nation. We pay our respects our sorrow for the personal, to their leaders and Elders spiritual and cultural costs of past, present and emerging that sharing and hope that we for they hold the memories, may move forward together the traditions, the culture and in harmony and in the spirit hopes of all Djaara People. of healing. The exhibition is curated by Bendigo Art “Piinpi highlights the Gallery’s First Nations Curator, Shonae Hobson. A Kaantju woman, Hobson says the word ‘Piinpi’ richness and innovation of comes from her great grandmother’s language and is an expression used in East Cape York to contemporary Indigenous describe seasonal changes and regeneration of Country. fashion design in this country - where culture, community “For me, the word Piinpi was important to use as it encapsulated a lot of what the exhibition was and couture converge in the about. For Indigenous peoples, our knowledge of the land and seasons is culturally important as freshest and most exciting it signifies the abundance of certain bush foods, new fashion movement when we can travel, and when is a good time to collect traditional materials for ceremony and we’ve seen for a long time.” dance,” Ms Hobson said. “Many of the garments selected for the exhibition Ms Bridgfoot said several key works featured in are an expression of Country and contemporary the exhibition will be acquired by the gallery, Indigenous culture. Through the use of natural and will form the beginnings of the Australian and recycled materials, traditional weaving Fashion Collection. techniques and hand-painted prints. First Nations artists and designers are expressing their culture “We are thrilled to mark this important moment and connection to Country in very exciting in Australian fashion and design history with a and bold ways – distinct from anything else new collection focus. being produced around the world – and this is something worth celebrating,” Ms Hobson said. “Bendigo Art Gallery has a celebrated, proven track-record presenting exhibitions that highlight Featuring collections by Grace Lillian Lee, Lyn- revolutionary and historically important aspects Al Young, Maree Clarke, Lisa Waup x VERNER, of fashion and design, so it is only fitting that as Hopevale Arts and many more, the exhibition an institution we start to build on a collection features garments and design objects from major that preserves and captures key moments in public and private collections as well as new Australian fashion history. The launch of Piinpi collections from designers and arts centres. and the new Australian Fashion Collection are an exciting new chapter for Bendigo Art Gallery,” “Never before have so many works by Indigenous she said. designers and artists been brought together to this extent, and in this way,” said Bendigo Art Gallery Director Jessica Bridgfoot. INTRODUCTION Featuring five new works from artist Lyn-Al Young The introductory section of the exhibition will highlight the evolution of First Nations fashion from traditional adornment wear to contemporary designs as seen today. This room will explore the importance of Indigenous people’s abiding connection to Country and how that relationship is reflected in the materiality, patterns, designs and stories depicted in the garments and objects. About the Curator, Shonae Hobson Bendigo Art Gallery has commissioned Gunai, Shonae Hobson is a Southern Kaantju Wiradjuri, Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta woman woman from Coen, Cape York Peninsula. Lyn-Al Young to create five new garments that Shonae graduated with a Bachelor of respond directly to the theme of Indigenous Arts, majoring in Anthropology and Art seasons, drawing on her personal connection to History, from the University of Melbourne. Country and culture. She has worked in a variety of arts and cultural spaces, including as the assistant Following the Introduction, the exhibition curator for the Donald Thomson Collection conceptually explores Indigenous Seasons and exhibition at the University of Melbourne, how understandings of Country and culture are as a research intern for Northern Australian reflected in and inspire contemporary textile and Collections online at the Melbourne fashion designs. Museum and as Project Officer for the Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation Women’s Lyn-Al Young Support Centre. Shonae is a board member Lyn-Al Young is a fashion designer and artist with for Regional Arts Australia and currently her own label, LYN-AL. Her name and brand is a resides on Dja Dja Wurrung Country where reminder of the importance of connecting back she holds the position of First Nations and honouring her heritage during the design Curator at Bendigo Art Gallery. process, as it has intergenerational significance – she shares her birthname with her Nan Lynette What is Piinpi and great Nan Alice. Lyn-Al understands the Piinpi is an expression that Kanichi power that fashion can have on a wearer and Thampanyu (First Nations people from aims to release ‘Marrumbang’ – love and kindness the East Cape York Peninsula) use to into each design and silk painting she creates. describe changes in the landscape across She uses an ancient method of singing in and time and space. For many First Nations over each one of her creations, guided by her people across Australia, knowledge of the ancestors, she follows her songline and speaks land and seasons is culturally important. positive words into the silk, dyes and water. While the number of seasons can vary across many First Nations groups around Australia, the exhibition is themed around four widely recognised seasons. DRY SEASON materials into traditional forms such as coolamon and dilly bags. Since 1991 she has exhibited in Season of Fire and Burn numerous exhibitions including Twined Together: Dry season is a time for many First Nations Kunmadj Njalehnjaleken, at the Melbourne groups to travel between homelands and Museum, and Woven Forms: Contemporary Basket Country to visit families, go hunting, and prepare Making in Australia at Object Gallery, Sydney, for ceremonies. Using the wind, the grass is 2005. Lorraine Connelly-Northey lives in Swan Hill. burnt to maintain a pattern of vegetation to encourage new growth for plant and animal life. Margaret Rarru Fire is an integral part of Indigenous culture both Artist Margaret Rarru was a young teenager when historically and culturally today. she first started to weave at Galawin’ku, on Elcho Island. Many generations of Rarru’s Ancestors This section of the exhibition features garments, have made bathi (dilly bags) for ceremony and woven hats and traditional dilly bags using natural every day use, which together with their coil plant fibre and recycled materials. The artists in this baskets are now sought after by museums and room demonstrate their rich knowledge of the land private collections all over the world. Rarru paints and its resources through their weaving techniques women’s bush stories and designs passed down and use of natural plant dyes harvested from the from her father’s clan on bark and hollow logs earth. The practice of weaving in many First Nations using locally harvested ochre. In 2007, Rarru communities from Northern Australia has been won the bark painting category at the Telstra passed on through generations and involves the Aboriginal Art Awards. collecting of pandanus leaves, which are then split and dried in the sun – the leaves are soaked, boiled Bula’Bula Arts Aboriginal Corporation with root, bulb and bark dyes to create various Known as ‘the cultural heart of Ramingining colour variations as seen in the work of artist community’, the Bula’Bula Arts Aboriginal Margaret Rarru, Joy Garrangarr and artists from Corporation is situated in the remote community Bula’bula Aboriginal Art Centre. Lorraine Connelly- of Ramingining in North East Arnhem Land Northey also revisits the traditional weaving surrounded by the Arafura wetlands, which techniques of basket making using recycled wire has been placed on the Australian National mesh. The Dry Season room celebrates the practice Heritage list and is managed using traditional of traditional weaving forms and the continuation land management practices. Bula’bula Arts is an of that practice through contemporary materials Aboriginal owned and governed, not for profit and wearable fashion pieces. organisation with its core objective being to preserve and foster Yolngu culture. Featured Artists include: The Yolngu (people) of Ramingining and Lorraine Connelly-Northey surrounding outstations have a compelling Waradgerie (Wiradjuri) artist Lorraine