Who we are

My designs, they are all alive living up in my head.

Janet Marawarr, artist at Bábbarra

Bábbarra Women’s Centre is our place, on our country.

We women are from more than 12 language groups in the Maningrida region. We come together at Bábbarra Women’s Centre to share our knowledge and ideas. That’s what led us to set up our main social enterprise: Bábbarra Designs. It’s been going strong since 1989.

We design and hand-print exquisite textiles that we sell around the world. Each length of fabric is unique and tells the ancestral stories of our Arnhem Land country and cultures. People tell us our designs are bold and elegant, but for us they are more than designs: these designs tell the stories of our lives. They bring a lot of joy to everyone – to us, our families and our customers alike.

Working creatively with Bábbarra Designs is a way for us to achieve financial independence, for our community and the next generations.

You can buy Bábbarra Designs unique artisan fabrics and hand-sewn items from our online shop, and through our network of retailers.