Piinpi is set to become the first major exhibition in Australia that solely showcases Indigenous fashion designers. Coming to Bendigo Art Gallery, a space renowned for attracting groundbreaking exhibitions, the display will welcome works from the likes of Grace Lillian Lee, Lorraine Connelly-Northey, Lisa Waup and Maree Clarke.
Piinpi will also see organisations such as Hopevale Arts Culture Centre, Lore, Aarli Fashion and Maara Collective exhibited while Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Lyn-Al Young will team 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.
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 will be open at Bendigo Art Gallery from Saturday September 5 to Sunday November 29. Grab a ticket to the exhibit here.
Written by Tom Parker via Beat Magazine
Feature Image is Shantel Miskin wears Grace Lillian Lee’s piece ‘Body Armour: A Weave of Reflection Pink and Orange’. Image by Wade Lewis
