Tiwi Textiles: Design, Making, Process

Tiwi Textiles tells the story of the Tiwi Design centre, dedicated to producing hand-printed fabrics featuring Indigenous designs, from the 1970s to today. It features profiles of Tiwi artists, accounts of the development of new design processes, insights into Tiwi culture and language, and personal reflections on the significance of Tiwi Design. It is a unique historical document, a vindication of the accomplishments of great Indigenous artists, and a charter for the future.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2022
Publisher: Sydney University Press

Tiwi Textiles: Design, Making, Process is a captivating narrative that delves into the rich history of the Tiwi Design Centre on Bathurst Island in northern Australia. This centre, dedicated to the production of hand-printed fabrics featuring Indigenous designs, has been a significant part of the Tiwi community and Australian Indigenous culture since its establishment in the 1970s. Written by early art coordinator Diana Wood Conroy with oral testimony from senior Tiwi artist Bede Tungutalum, who founded Tiwi Design in 1969 alongside fellow designer Giovanni Tipungwuti, the book offers a comprehensive account of the centre's origins and its enduring impact. Through a wealth of voices and images, including those of lesser-known older artists from Paru and Wurrumiyanga (formerly Nguiu) on the Tiwi Islands and from Indigenous literature, Tiwi Textiles provides insightful profiles of Tiwi artists, explores the development of innovative design processes, delves into Tiwi culture and language, and offers personal reflections on the significance of Tiwi Design. This book is a remarkable historical document that celebrates the achievements of Indigenous artists and sheds light on a significant chapter in world art history. It also serves as a blueprint for the future, emphasizing the importance of fibre and textiles practices in Indigenous art and leaving room for us to reimagine art history to better reflect the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples and their non-Indigenous allies.

Weight: 1128g
Dimension: 200 x 250 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781743328637