Minang Mainitch Indigenous Weaver's Festival - artist profilesMinang Mainitch Indigenous Weaver's Festival - LOOK WHO IS COMING! - Weavers and Fibre Artist ProfilesAustraliaThe Jilinbirri WeaversMajorie Winmar:Majorie was born in Mullewa, Western Australia.Majorie was educated and has always lived in Carnarvon. Her first art medium was painting and she began weaving in 2005 when a weavers group was started to source natural grasses to weave baskets. Since then Majorie has ventured into creating emus, lizards and dolls from natural grasses and even sculptures using recycled materials.Esma MacMahonEsma is a Noongar from the South West who has lived in Carnarvon since 1963. She has been weaving with fibres for three years Esma utilizes garden grown leaves, banana trunk fibre, palm fruit stems and sand dune spinifex to weave and create both artistic and functional pieces.Elaine MoncrieffElaine was born in Meekatharra, Western Australia but has lived most of her life in Carnarvon.. Using many natural fibres found in the area to create both baskets and sculptures , Elaine gains most of her inspiration from f growing up in the out-camp environments of stations in the Pilbara and Murchison areas.Nyoongar WeaversSharyn EganSharyn Egan is a Nyoongar woman who was born in Subiaco (Western Australia). She was taken from her family and put into a mission at New Norcia. Her work is informed by this experience. . In 2001 she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts (Arts) from CUT. In 2006 Egan was engaged to work on a 10x8m canvas collaboration, Ngullak Koort Boodja (Our Heartland), with Shane Pickett, Lance Chad, Troy Bennell, Alice Warrell and Yvonne Kickett. The images these artists designed represented all the different Aboriginal groups that are located in the south-west of Western Australia.The canvas became the centre-piece of the 2006 Perth International Arts Festival. Sharyn has an extensive arts history which can be found on line. Sharyn has been exploring fibre art and weaving as a medium for some years and has become well known for her fibre sculptures and use of indigenous fibres with a contempory perspective.Fiona GavinoFiona Gavino was born in Queensland from an Anglo-Australian mother and a Filipino/Maori father and as such refers to herself as being typically Australian.Spending most of her adult life in the Northern Territory she formed a strong relationship with the landscape around her and with Aboriginal Australia. An elder Djambarrupyngu woman from Elcho Island north east Arnhem Land adopted Fiona and called her waku (daughter). Gavino often works with traditional basket making techniques to create sculpture; cross-cultural postcolonial themes run through her work. ‘My arts practice calls for the attention to the marginalised, the sustainable and the need to celebrate it’.Papua New GuineaRuth Aoare Karukuru and Tae Miro EliRuth and Tae are sisters born into a family of 8 siblings They are both retired school teachers and live with their families in Port Moresby.Ruth is the older sister and Jane, the youngest of the family. They were born in Iokea village in the Gulf province of Papua New Guinea. The village is situated approximately 200 kilometres west of the nation’s capital Port Moresby.As young girls they would have had to go to the banks of the river to collect reed or along the sand dunes and climb up the hills to collect bandanus fronds which was then laid out in the sun to dry. Once dried some of these were boiled for colour, tubers from ginger like plant for yellow and clay from the hills for red. This was again dried out in the sun before the weaving process began.Making baskets, string bags and weaving mats was a necessary way of life. This would be used for sleeping on, carrying babies, vegetables and fish etc in their normal daily chores. The inspiration for patterns is gained from the surrounding landscapes and vegetation.They would go fishing, crabbing and also collect shellfish from the river to the west and coral reef to the east of the village. They would collect firewood and go gardening on their family land. All these skills will have been taught by their mother.They are involved in their church and organise and hold fetes to raise funds for the church. Craft sold at these fetes include woven baskets, mats, grass skirts, string bags (arua/bilums) and clothing. Bush material is still used to this day and can be sourced locally or from other provinces. There are different coloured dyes that can be bought from the shops thus ruling out harvesting and digging as was the case many years ago.P/S Strings for making the string bags were from an Agave/pineapple like plant and vines. Grass skirt is made from fronds of the sago palm.New ZealandKiri FloydKiri Floyd was born in Taupo New Zealand. Her mother is a Māori from the tribes Muaūpoko and Ngāti Kahungunu. Her father is Australian. Kiri and her family have been involved in Māori public performing arts groups in Perth, since she was 5yo and was taught Tāniko (hand weaving) by her Mother at the age of 10 in order to make her own performance costumes.In 2009 Kiri was given a scholarship by her tribe Ngāti Kahungunu through The Wairarapa Moana Trust to study a Diploma in Māori Art and Design at Te Wānanga O Raukawa in Ōtaki ( Māori University ) New Zealand, where she learned to speak her language, tribal history and the origins and techniques of Māori weaving.Sonia SnowdenSonia is a highly-respected weaver from Otaki. Her tribal affiliations are : Ngati Whatua; Nga PuhiSonia is a senior weaver who learned her craft from some of Aotearoa's finest weavers including Ramari Ropata, Emily Schuster, Erenora Puketapu Hetet, Aromea Tahiwi and Nellie Frost. She is well known for her intricate kete (woven baskets) and whariki (woven mats). She uses material such as harakeke (flax) and kinikini (piu piu or flax skirt strands).Having spent many years as a tutor at Te Whare Wananga o Raukawa, Sonia now spends her time returning traditional knowledge to Mäori communities in the lower North Island of New Zealand. In 2004 she was awarded a grant to teach weaving at two marae. Sonia enjoys sharing the customary techniques of weaving whariki. Sonia Snowden is a licensed user of the toi iho TM , the trademark and authenticity and quality for Maori arts.Elaine BevanTribal Affiliation: Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toa, and Ngati Tukorehe me Ngati WehiwehiElaine was exposed to weaving as a child watching her cousin weave kete (baskets) and began to weave in 1985 while carrying her first child. She incorporates contemporary designs in her work but is drawn more to traditional styles and materials. Elaine's designs usually unfold as her work progresses. She has always admired fine work whether it is mahi whatu (plaiting) or mahi raranga (finger weaving) and gets more satisfaction out of making pieces of this kind although it demands more time, skill, and patience.Elaine graduated with a bachelor of design and art at Te Wänanga o Raukawa (a Maori university) in 2001. She taught basic weaving at the local primary schools and college in Otaki and is currently employed at Te Wänanga O Raukawa in Otaki, a learning and teaching place for Maori artists, carvers and weavers where she tutors diploma of design and art students. She recently became a toi iho accredited artist, which is a trade mark of authenticity and quality in Maori arts and crafts.AfricaSylrana KaburalNihunze FidesKabauyana AsiaMukunde ShubaniOdette TuizenmanaBorn in Baundi and The Congo republic these weavers learnt to weave as children using plants for environs surrounding their villages. Although weaving for them was for functional purposes, the symbol and techniques used told something of their heritage and family lines. Weaving is now a link to their past heritage. This group of weavers specialise in coil technique and matting techniques.Halimo FarahBorn in Somalia, Africa. Halimo Farah now resides in Albany as a new immigrant. Halimo was taught weaving as a necessary skill in village life by her mother and aunties. Halimo is experienced in basketry in particular and mat making.