A new exhibition has landed in Geelong, celebrating the diverse makers and creatives of multicultural backgrounds.
Tamaduni & Arts Fest. Geelong is an exhibition from the team at Regional Runways, a community association who are spotlighting the breadth of cultural diversity in fashion and art emerging in our community.
Deriving from the Swahili word for ‘traditional’, Tamaduni & Arts Fest takes over Geelong Library and Heritage Centre this month, running 6 June to 6 July, featuring textiles, tapestries and creations of migrant and refugee women.
Tamaduni Exhibition Details
- When: Running 6 June – 6 July
- Where: Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, 51 Little Malop Street, Geelong
- Further information: regionalrunwaysinc.org
Stay up to date with what’s happening within the region’s art scene here.
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Having opened with a bang on 6 June, with music from Immy Owusu, a Welcome To Country from Corinna Eccles, a speech from Councillor Sarah Hathaway and a special performance from Widya Luvtari Indonesian Dance Group, Tamaduni pays homage to the diverse cultural mix that forms the heart of Victoria’s identity. This cultural exhibition features exhibits of traditional crafts, textiles, and cultural artistry and artefacts. From the vibrant African textiles symbolizing societal status and folklore to the intricate Afghan embroidery embodying centuries of history and identity, these displays offer a tangible connection to global heritages.
In addition, displays also include collaborative designs from First Nations artists, textiles and baskets that represent continuum of cultural storytelling from African heritage, and saris and kimonos showing the sartorial elegance of Asian cultures including Filipino, Indian, Japanese and Malaysian background.
Designers include Vivi Yofani who contributes her design work Si Candramaya, a long flowing batik skirt paired with a floral-patterned corset for a modern touch, and a selendang (scarf), to leave a luxurious impression like a dance under the moonlight, Slavka Rava with pieces Volya and Koti Maridadi which represent Ukrainian heritage, and Erica Keen who specialises in East African textiles.
The vibrant and stunning exhibition showcases the work that Regional Runways is doing to elevate the understanding of art, design and cultural identity through fabrication. The initiative as pioneered by a group of Geelong-based creatives and designers, aims beyond the exhibition with a vision to develop, promote, and position these designers, provide mentorship and business development support, and engage the wider Victorian community through an exhibition of their designs and ancillary workshops and pop ups both in the centre of Geelong and in the north, east and south sides.
Tamaduni & Arts Fest. Geelong is on now, running until 6 July. Further details of the exhibition and additional outputs of the event can be found here.
