Wujal Wujal designs on the catwalk at the CIAF fashion show. Photo: Veronica Sagredo Blueclick Photography
THE flora and fauna of Wujal Wujal came alive in colourful designs on the catwalk at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair on Friday.
The talented team at Wujal’s Bana Yirriji Art Centre collaborated with designer Shannon Brett to convert metres of colourful cloth into bespoke garments.
“The designs represent our country, the plants and animals that are around the artists, things that are out in the bush,” Bana Yirriji manager Vikki Burrows said.
“The ladies are so proud, absolutely, representing their culture and their country at Wujal Wujal.”
Wujal Wujal artists Lila Creek, Anne Nunn, Doreen Collins and Junabel Doughboy travelled to Cairns with Ms Burrows for the four-day festival.
“We’ve been coming to CIAF for about 11 years, and we do everything, canvas and linen paintings, ochre, but we’re just in the fashions this year,” Ms Burrows said.
Wujal Wujal artists collaborated with designer Shannon Brett for the CIAF fashion show.
“We put the ladies’ art onto fabric and collaborated with Shannon Brett to create garments, we call it Kambi, which means flying fox and clothing in Kuku Yalanji.”
The Wujal contingent’s bold, colourful designs, featuring quandongs, water lilies, dragonflies and other elements from their rainforest home, were on sale at a pop-up shop throughout the festival.
Ms Burrows said the artists had sold so much work at Bana Yirriji, that they didn’t have enough for their usual market stall at CIAF.
“We’re very lucky that we get a lot of tourists through our doors at Wujal Wujal, whereas a lot of the people at CIAF don’t have that opportunity,” she said.
“Our art just walks out the door at Bana Yirriji with all the visitors we get at Wujal.”
CIAF’s Woven fashion performance celebrated 10 years of fashion at the festival, featuring 14 Queensland designer collections and 18 Indigenous models.
Wujal Wujal artists collaborated with designer Shannon Brett for the CIAF fashion show. Photo: Veronica Sagredo Blueclick Photography
