Exhibition Round-up
For information about our next exciting exhibition 'Weaving Cultures' click here
Heru Ini Lafu: Weaving Life
A Journey into Community and the Woven Art of East Timor. December 07 - Feb 08
Heru Ini Lafu means Weaving Life in Makalero, the language of the Iliomar region in the south-eastern highlands of East Timor. For people in this isolated community, the art of weaving is integral to social life and plays a vital role in ritual and ceremony.
The Heru Ini Lafu: Weaving Life exhibition merged contemporary Australian Art and photography with East Timorese hand-weavings to create a visual celebration of two distinct cultures, showcasing the work of a multitude of East Timorese hand-weavers, ETWA member Sally Gray's photography (most of the images on our website are courtesy of Sally Gray) and local artists:
Allan Browne (integrative work in calico and Tais)
Annette Sax (traditional Aboriginal painting on Tais)
George de Araujo (photography on canvas)
Carmelita Gomes (mixed media called 'Peace')
Fatima Almeida (sketches)
Kirsten Dudink (charcoal drawings)
Deb Salvagno (light, photography and textiles)
Katheryn Philip (photography and textiles)
Glenn Vidoni (timber and textiles)
With a community arts approach, this integrated exhibition shed new light on the history and culture of East Timor. Each artist reflected on the process of working with the cloth and spoke of what this meant to them socially, symbolically and emotionally. As an educational tool, the exhibition worked to:
Raise the profile of traditional East Timorese weaving as an art form
Deepen cross-cultural awareness and understanding
Bring communities together in mutuality and cooperation
Raise the profile of Australian based artists and their commitment to social justice.
With a massive effort from more than 30 ETWA volunteers, the exhibition opened on December 2nd, 2007 for one evening at the Fitzroy Gallery with an estimated crowd of 150 people attending throughout the night! There was a festive mood; sweet acoustic music by Ego Lemos, wonderful world music played by DJ Henry and much support and interest from punters. The exhibition was then displayed at the Augustine Centre (ETWA's home) until the end of February where sales topped $7,000 for the month of December alone!
Apart from its aesthetic value, the exhibition also enlightened the public to the beauty, cultural and economic value of hand-woven textiles. It was a truly remarkable initiative and one that will continue with our next exhibition called Weaving Cultures that specifically aims to explore the integrative theme more . Some of the works are still available. For more information, contact Katheryn Philip on (03) 9890 6751 or 0401 577 581 or email exhibition@etwa.org.au.
Setting up: the room begins to be transformed!
Sally Gray (right) discussing her work with Anne
Dimity taking in the symbolism of Annette's Aboriginal painting on Tais
Heru Ini Lafu signature photo by Sally Gray
Kirsten and Jennifer hanging pictures in the weaving section
Ego Lemos and his little boy
A few of the Weaving Life integrative pieces:
Pieces designed by Deb Salvagno, ETWA
The concept: The idea behind these three pieces was one of integration. The cloth itself is bound to the weaver and the weaver to the cloth. Each piece embodies an innate story of the woman who wove it. The weaving process is such that part of the weaver becomes integrated into the cloth as they weave it; as though the cloth is an extension of them, their personality and their spirit. As the weavers cannot be here with us, I wanted to portray how tightly bound the women are to their weavings. I wondered how I could show this visually and hence the pieces you see here. You look at the cloth and see the woman; you look at the woman and see the cloth. The differing Tais were chosen for both the beauty they possess and the skill and technique they portray. The stories behind both the pictures and their accompanying cloth sheds light on the intricate and beautiful lives held within them. As you gaze upon these three pieces I hope you remember that you can’t separate the Tais from the woman or the woman from her cloth, they exist together to tell a unique story.
‘Ama Ki’ik’
Young Mother: Epia da Costa
Mate Restu Weaving Collective, Fuat village Iliomar
Traditional Los Palos Selendang
Epia was born in 1988 and is mother to beautiful Omi, a tiny and subdued baby boy. She began weaving before she was 10 and joined Mate Restu to support her new family. A loving and softly spoken woman, much of Epia’s early childhood was spent under the occupation. This photo captures Epia’s perfect beauty but not the sadness of her past. Although I can’t begin to understand the extent of her heartache, we share similar experiences of the challenges young motherhood. However, Omi will be raised by a whole village and Epia has the support of a community of mothers.
‘In a sane society, no mother would be left to struggle on her own with the huge transformation that is motherhood’ Germaine Greer
‘Feto Feto Forte’
Strong Women: Berta Lourdes
Mate Restu Weaving Collective,
Fuat village Iliomar
Traditional Iliomar Tais Mane (man’s Tais)
Photo by Sally Gray
Berta has seen things we will never see and understands things we need to understand- kinship, reciprocity and mutuality. At 46 years old, she has living memories of Portuguese colonialism and the Indonesian occupation. Like many Fuat women, she supported the resistance and sacrificed much in pursuit of freedom. The photo captures her great strength, composure and pride in her communities’ achievements. The Tais mane (man’s Tais) signifies a sense of gender balance and the empowered spirit of Iliomar women. Traditions of self-determination live on in Fuat; the villagers are self-reliant, motivated and work collectively for the benefit of their community.
Berta is a weaver of fine ceremonial cloth. She has 9 children and joined Mate Restu to support their education and improve her life.
Traditional Tais, raw bamboo, hand spun and dyed cotton and photography.
Photograph by Sally Gray
Concept by Deb Salvagno and Katheryn Philip
Brought to life by Katheryn Philip
This piece was initially inspired by a poster for the Longest Night Appeal which hangs on the wall at Borderlands Community Co-operative. While this poster portrays a feeling of sadness with the protagonist in a trapped state, our concept was one of optimism and freedom. For the women of East Timor, weaving, while a cultural art, provides a way out of poverty through its introduction to the west. The weaving provides women there with a means of income and an element of control over both their lives and their future. The Tais used in this art work is a traditional hand woven piece forming part of the traditional dress of women in East Timor.
The woman in Sally Gray’s photograph is Anita Madeira. While Anita is now the book keeper for the weaving group Mate Restu, her story is not unlike many of the women in East Timor. Her past is filled with trauma and destruction due to the resistance. While she was initially disinterested in weaving, her mothers great skill in the art meant that she was always surrounded by it and inevitably learnt the art herself. Her photograph was chosen not to portray the sadness of both her and her countries state, but more for her look of strength and contemplation.
It was with a view of hope and strength that this piece was put together, a look towards the future and the ultimate goal of women regaining control over their lives and truly breaking free of poverty.