Jarracharra at the Indian Museum Kolkata

In 2019, five Aboriginal artists from Maningrida, West Arnhem Land, travelled to Paris to open their exhibition of Bábbarra Designs textiles at the Australian Embassy. This journey caused a stir across the indigenous textile and fashion sector and brought international attention to the remote Bábbarra Women’s Centre.

Three years later, Jarracharra (Dry Season Wind) arrived at the Indian Museum – Kolkata in West Bengal, India, for its 8th international showing. The exhibition will continue to tour to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru as supported by DFAT and the Australian Consulate-General Kolkata.

On the 6th of January, 2023, three representatives Travelled to India to join the exhibition team in Kolkata as guests of honour at an Artists’ Reception, in the courtyard of the Indian Museum. The visiting artists, Janet Marawarr and Deborah Wurrkidj, explored the heritage textiles in the state of West Bengal. They will exchange knowledge with other women’s groups including the Bridging Culture and Art Foundation kantha studio in Tushkhali, Sundarbans; the Sadaf India Studio, Beej Studio and Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan and the Navajeevan Co-operative Society in Jajpur, Odisha.  As part of the visit to India, the group visited Tharangini Studio,Bangalore’s oldest heritage textile studio. Established in 1977, Tharangini is woman-owned and specializes in organic, sustainable woodblock printed textiles. Tharangini’s skilled artisans will hand carve Babbarra artist designs into woodblocks. Babbarra’s  artisans will learn and co-create textiles using organic dyes and their vast library of vintage Indian woodblocks. This initiative was funded by Kinaway Chamber of Commerce, Victoria.

We thank DFAT and the Australian Consulate Kolkata for their generous support in making this unforgettable journey possible.

We also thank NTRA Regional Arts Fund and Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation for additional financial support.

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