Four QUT fashion students visited the Indigenous community of Hope Vale in Far North Queensland this month to continue a collaboration that began in 2018 and will shortly be celebrated in a QUT Art Museum exhibition.
Working at the Hope Vale Arts and Culture Centre, they were joined by acclaimed Australian designer and QUT School of Design lecturer Lydia Pearson and QUT Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Rowena Barrett.
Luzita Els, Sophie Kearns, Maria Papadimitriou, Evangeline Wallace, were the second student cohort to visit Hope Vale to engage with the local community and showcase the couture collection designed by QUT fashion students with textiles created by local artists.
“Although our students have only been twice this was my fourth trip to the Hope Vale Arts and Culture Centre since the collaboration began eight years ago and each time I visit, I see the immense value in increasing our engagement,” Ms Pearson said.
“It is truly mutually beneficial. The students learn so much just from being there and talking to the artists. Concurrently the artists have gained a greater understanding about the role that fashion and our students can play in making their art visible to a broad audience.
“Indigenous fashion is now a vibrant if nascent industry sitting alongside the fine art and craft as another platform for the extraordinary visual gift intrinsic to Australian indigenous culture.”
Ms Pearson has been helping curate the Gulbuuygu: Hope Vale X QUT Fashion exhibition opening at the QUT Art Museum on August 14 and which will also be included in the Brisbane Fashion Festival Off the Runway program (August 24-28).
Taking its name from the Guugu Yimithirr word meaning together, the exhibition features garments and textiles developed through the partnership, alongside works on paper that reveal the initial designs underpinning them.
Vanessa Van Ooyen, Director, QUT Galleries and Museums, said a selection of paintings by Hope Vale artists establishes the rich cultural and creative context from which the collaboration has grown, while also affirming the independent practices of these established artists.
“Works on display will include Grace Rosendale’s, 'Seedpods dress' from 2019, made by QUT student Joash Teo from silk organza, elastic, sequinned fabric,” Ms Van Ooyen said.
“Grace is a Hope Vale artist and elder now represented by the Indigenous fashion label Magpie Goose. Other Hope Vale artists who will have work featured in the exhibition include Pearl Deemal, Dora Deeral, and Esmae Bowen.”
Professor Barrett said the time spent at the Hope Vale Arts and Culture Centre and in the Cooktown community was invaluable.
“Being able to spend time with the artists - Aunties Wanda, Pearl, Grace, Daisy, and Fay (Esmae) – was a powerful experience in learning and sharing,” Professor Barrett said.
“We went with the aim of working up prototypes of wearable art using Hope Vale Arts and Culture Centre materials, found and thrifted objects and materials. All up, over three days, we made 75 items. For many of these, we produced patterns and written or video instructions. We labelled and priced the items, using benchmarks that that showed just how much people will pay for unique fashion, wearable objects with a history and story.
“Some of these were to be sold at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair last week (July 9-12) while nine were brought back to Brisbane to be included in the Gulbuuygu exhibition as they very clearly highlight the together theme of the exhibition.”
Gulbuuygu: Hope Vale X QUT Fashion will run from August 14 until October 25 at the QUT Art Museum.
Main image: Grace Rosendale, Seedpods dress 2019. Silk organza, elastic, sequinned fabric. Courtesy of Bendigo Art Gallery Collection, 2020. Garment by Joash Teo. Model: Magnolia Maymuru. Photographer: Bronwyn Kidd.
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Amanda Weaver
QUT Media
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