W A R R I N G A R R I
A B O R I G I N A L A R T S
Born out of the Waringarri Textiles project, the YIRRB collection of hand-block printed linens and fine cottons, maintains connection of young women with the cultural traditions of bush plant knowledge, inspiring their beautiful designs.
Design motifs represent Gerdwoon (boab nuts), Jilinybeng (bush cucumber) and bush medicines.
Supported by Grace Lillian-Lee, Waringarri artists bring together a sophisticated collection that evokes the lyrical beauty of bush plants and the dramatic colours of the Kimberley.
The excitement and relevance the YIRRB collection creates for artists and their community a significant opportunity that will have profound effects for future generations of Miriwoong women.
YIRRB consist of six artists including:
Peggy Griffiths arts practice reflects her strong commitment to her Miriwoong culture. Her elegant imagery resonates with references to cultural performance of which she is a renowned dancer. The winding of waterways are the sinuous and graceful body movements of a dancer; the outlining dotting reflects a performer's body painting. Her works document the traditional country of her mother and grandfather and her recent works capture the movement of wind through the spinifex country which for the artist is evidence that the spirit of culture is alive.
Born on Newry Station to Dinah Dingle and Frank Moore, Peggy lived and learned about her family and bush life. "I grew up on Newry Station and learnt my culture from the old people. I saw my old people being taken away from the camp with chains around their necks and I was hidden once when Welfare came so that they would not take me away. I learned to dance all the traditional dances and I have taught all my children and grandchildren these dances. I went to school at the Kimberley Research School and later at Beagle Bay Mission before I got married at 16 to my promised husband Alan Griffiths. We have been together ever since." Peggy began working with Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in 1985, carving and painting boab nuts and boomerangs. She progressed to painting on canvas and working with limited edition prints. She is the first indigenous artist to win the prestigious Fremantle Print Award. Committed to keeping the stories of her grandfather, Charlie Mailman, alive and maintaining her connection to culture Peggy and her husband Alan were often found painting side by side. They were also key performers and teachers of traditional dance for their community. Today Peggy is a highly respected senior artist at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts, teaching other artists as well as contributing to leadership of Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in a Director role. Peggy has 5 children, 27 grandchildren and a growing number of great grandchildren.
I was born in Kununurra and I went to school in Broome. I first began work as a trainee broadcaster and journalist in 1990. I also did a few months at the Waringarri Aboriginal Arts Centre and enjoyed the little time I spent there. I've worked at the Wyndham Super Market and Tuckerbox store in Kununurra for several years. I've been painting on and off for many years now and began exploring ceramics in 2016. I'm carrying on my parents, Peggy and Alan Griffiths’ stories that were handed down to my parents and then to me. Both my parents are famous artists in the Kimberley but most importantly, they are my traditional teachers. I too can keep our tradition alive and hand the stories of our ancestors and how our Country came to be, down to the next generation and generations to come. I do this with great pride and honour. I am now an accomplished ceramic artist and have exhibited at the Shepparton Art Gallery, Mundaring Art Centre and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Louise Malarvie is a young emerging artist developing a repertoire of images to reflect the cultural learning taught to her by the elders of her family. Committed to her cultural tradition and its expression Louise explores an individual interpretation of colour and composition to best translate her cultural learning. "I was born in Darwin and grew up at Mistake Creek and Bamboo Springs and then moved to Kununurra and lived at Lily Creek. Afterwards I went to Emu Creek with my Mum. We used to catch the bus into Kununurra for school. We lived in the ranch area at Kununurra in the 90's. I follow my mother to do painting. I watched my mother painting when I was small when she used to sell her paintings at the bakery before Waringarri Arts started. Everyone - my grandpa, my mum and dad all moved to Waringarri then."
Delany began painting in 2008 and has proven herself to be a highly skilled artist. Delany has been taught and mentored by her grandmother, senior artist Peggy Griffiths and late grandfather Mr. Griffiths. Mr. Griffiths was a senior artist at Waringarri Arts as well as a respected law and culture man for both his traditional Country near Timber Creek and for Miriwoong culture in Kununurra. Peggy has an arts career spanning over 30 years throughout which she has been exhibited widely. Delany's art practice involves ochre painting, ceramics and textiles. In recent years Delany has developed a successful career in textile printing.
"I was born in Broome. Most of my life I lived in Kununurra & Wyndham. I am the second eldest grand-daughter of Peggy Griffiths. I like making textiles, prints and painting. I like to spend time with my family and I will keep painting and learning the stories from my grandmother."
I was born in the Derby Hospital and I grew up and did my schooling at Frog Hollow Community. Then my family moved to Chinaman Garden at Halls Creek. After that we shifted to Purnululu and I went to the school there. We used to go after school with our grandparents walking through the Bungle Bungle areas and learning the stories from them. They took us from place to place teaching us about the Country. I did a bit more schooling at Kununurra before going to Perth for five years of secondary schooling. I graduated in 2005 and got a job as a receptionist. Then I had my baby boy. I started painting in 2009 because my family asked me to bring the family painting line up again. We have had too much alcohol in the family and we were forgetting to paint the stories. Today I also work in ceramics and textiles.
Anita was born and grew up in Kununurra. She has three children and began working at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in 2008 as an Artist Support worker. Her arts practice includes painting, photography, textile printing, woodcarving and performance. She learns stories and skills from her elders. Her current passion is fabric printing designs.