This is a must see.
In wonderful news for the region, Bendigo Art Gallery has just launched Australia’s first major survey that solely showcases Indigenous fashion designers, Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion. The exhibition was created exclusively for and by Bendigo Art Gallery and will shine a light on Australia’s leading First Nations creatives, featuring works from more than 70 Indigenous fashion designers and artisans, including likes of Grace Lillian Lee, Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Lisa Waup and Maree Clarke.
You’ll see more than 100 garments and design objects from both major public and private collections, as well as new collections from both designers and art centres, including Hopevale Arts Culture Centre, Lore, Aarli Fashion and Maara Collective exhibited while Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Lyn-Al Young who have teamed up to create five special pieces for the exhibition.
The display has been curated by Bendigo Art Gallery First Nations curator and Southern Kaantju woman Shonae Hobson, who’s quickly solidifying a reputation within Australia’s creative landscape, earning plaudits for her dedication and support for First Nations art practitioners. Hobson moved from her home in Coen, Cape York in 2018 to become Bendigo Art Gallery’s first-ever First Nations curator. She was 21 at the time.
Never before has Indigenous fashion been showcased on this scale and in this format. The name of the exhibition, Piinpi, is a term commonly used across regions of Kanichi Thampanyu (East Cape York) referring to natural seasonal shifts that occur across time, accommodating the regeneration of Country.
Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion is open until January 17 2021. To learn more about the exhibition, head here.
Feature Image is Shantel Miskin wears Grace Lillian Lee’s piece ‘Body Armour: A Weave of Reflection Pink and Orange’. Image by Wade Lewis.
