pupuni punarika (good waterlily)
in collaboration with roslyn orsto from tiwi design for tarnanthi at jamfactory presented by the art gallery of south australia.

rekkan / tamuwu / nyinakati: sit/sit down
showcases the vitality and exuberance of aboriginal and torres Strait islander textile design by interpreting indigenous fabric onto contemporary upholstered furniture. across three exciting creative collaborations, diverse indigenous textile artists have worked directly with south australian furniture and product designers to produce a series of chairs.

tiwi artist roslyn orsto is renowned for her ochre paintings on canvas and paper that utilise the wooden comb technique. her vibrant punarika (waterlily) textile design celebrate the presence of waterlilies in the lakes ponds, rivers and running streams of her homeland as well as the integral role that the plants play in her community as both bush medicines and sources of nourishment.

in realising a new form on which to display rolsyn’s punarika designs, dean toepfer has created two armchairs with a minimalist aesthetic and finishes that depict tiwi lore relating to the use and stories of punarika.
“the first chair represents the calm and nurturing lakes and ponds where waterlilies provide bush medicines and food, while the second depicts the fire that the elders and traditional owners create to calm the rainbow serpent that rises if the waterlilies are taken without her permission”, toepfer says. “both chairs depict the balance and harmony that the traditional owners managed for millennia.”

tarnanthi is a platform for aboriginal and torres strait islander artists from across the country to share important stories. It encourages new beginnings by providing artists with opportunities to create significant new work and to extend their practice. It illuminates the diversity and depth of aboriginal and torres strait islander art by presenting an annual exhibition, art fair, artist talks, performances and events. tarnanthi is led by artistic director nici cumpston, agsa’s curator of aboriginal and torres strait islander art.

materials: tasmanian oak and cotton drill.