The dots, lines, circles and organic forms found throughout Aboriginal Australian art are far more than beautiful pattern. For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal peoples have used art as a visual language to share stories, traditions and connections to Country, ancestors and the Dreaming.
A Visual Language
Image via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Some Central and Western Desert paintings have been described as maps of Country, with symbols and pathways connecting places, ceremonies and ancestral stories. Meanings can vary among artists, families and communities, so there is no single dictionary for reading these remarkable works.
Dot painting is perhaps the most recognizable form, but Aboriginal art is incredibly diverse. Traditions also include intricate crosshatching, known as rarrk, as well as X-ray art, which may reveal the internal structures of animals and other living beings.
From Artwork to Cloth
Glen Namundja working on an artwork. Photo: Mark Roy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
When these designs are translated into fabric, the artists behind them matter. At Sue Spargo, we source our Aboriginal designed fabrics from M&S Textiles Australia, which licenses original artwork from Aboriginal artists. By choosing authentically licensed fabrics, we can celebrate these remarkable designs while helping recognize and support the artists who create them.
Introducing Wild Desert
Our new Wild Desert collection brings together Aboriginal designed fabrics produced by M&S Textiles Australia. Rich with color, movement and intricate pattern, the collection celebrates the work of six Aboriginal Australian artists.
Gracie Morton Pwerle
A senior Alyawarr artist from Utopia in Central Australia, Gracie is known for her delicate dot work and paintings of Arnwekety, or Bush Plum, a Dreaming deeply connected to her Country and cultural heritage.
Anna Pitjara
Also known as Anna Price Petyarre, Anna is an Anmatyerre artist from Utopia whose intricate work explores Bush Yam and Yam Seed Dreamings, women’s ceremony, and the landscape of her Country.
Marlene Doolan Kemarre
An Eastern Arrernte artist from Ltyentye Apurte, also known as Santa Teresa, Marlene is known for vibrant color and intricate detail. Her work explores Dreamings including Bush Onion and other traditional bush foods.
Tanya Price Nangala
An Anmatyerre artist connected to Adelaide Bore Country, Tanya is known for exceptionally fine dot work depicting women’s ceremony and the gathering of bush foods. Her designs carry stories connected to her father’s Country.
Esmerelda Woods
Aboriginal Australian artist Esmerelda Woods brings intricate pattern and vibrant color to her work. Her original artwork Bush Worm has been translated into licensed textile designs by M&S Textiles Australia.
Layla Campbell
A Warlpiri artist from Yuendumu in the Northern Territory, Layla paints traditional stories and symbols. Her Wild Bush Flowers Dreaming depicts the seeds, flowers, and pods traditionally gathered by Aboriginal women in Central Australia.
Look closely at the cloth. Follow the marks. Discover the story. And remember the artist behind the design.
More Dots to Discover
Embellish Your Aboriginal Fabric
Sequins and heishis make a fun addition to Aboriginal Fabrics!
