For thousands of years, First Peoples have thought ethically and consciously about sustainability and waste, and only now is the rest of the world catching up. Garments bursting with the colours and shapes of Country are on display as part of Australia’s first major survey of Indigenous fashion.
Created by Bendigo Art Gallery and curated by Shonae Hobson, Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion shines a light on Australia’s leading First Nations creatives, and a design movement that has become a national fashion phenomenon.
Featuring 24 hand-crafted garments by Indigenous artists and designers from the inner city to remote desert art centres, Piinpi highlights the strength and diversity of the rapidly expanding Indigenous fashion and textile industry in Australia. Collections from 36 artists are showcased, including Lyn-Al Young, Grace Lillian-Lee, Babbarra Women’s Centre, Maree Clarke, Lisa Waup x Verner, and Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre.
Piinpi is an expression that Kanichi Thampanyu (First Nations people from the East Cape York Peninsula) uses to describe changes in the landscape across time and space. Knowledge of the land and seasons is culturally vital for First Peoples, and the number of seasons can vary across many First Nations groups around Australia.
Exhibition organised by Bendigo Art Gallery.
