2016 - DESIGNING WOMEN - NAGULA JARNDU

The artists use a block printing technique, which lends itself to creating beautifully individual designs cut from lino and polystyrene foam. They explore textures, colour, pattern, and layering, overprinting onto natural base fabrics including fine cottons, linens, and silks. They also produce works on paper, do silk painting and create other gorgeous textile pieces, everyone a distinctive example of contemporary Indigenous art.

I decided to drop in and see what they were doing one morning - around morning teatime. Good timing as one of the women had baked some damper and there were slathers of butter and yummy jam and lively talk among the women about the designs they were working on and what colour they were going to use.

Nagula Jarndu is working towards a sustainable social enterprise and has women’s wellbeing at the heart of all they do. The women are offered skill based training to continually improve and grow their skills and knowledge, including residencies of high profiled textile artists and working with Kimberley Training Institute offering formal qualifications in an informal setting (at the workshop).

Nagula Jarndu offers many opportunities for the women to exhibit and participate in fairs and markets across the country for greater exposure and sales. The women represented Broome for the first time ever at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair 2015, with much positivity from the public, textile buyers and galleries.

You can visit the artists at Nagula Jarndu studio workshop and shopfront at 3/12 Gregory Street (entry from the Pembroke Street entrance) in the Light Industrial Area of Broome. Open Monday to Friday from 10 - 4. Their website iswww.nagulajarndu.com.au