Rug, Wall Hanging, S, Wool, Aboriginal, Chainstitch, Australia, Fair Trade, Liddy Napanangka Walker, Warlukurlangu, Living Room, deals Home

These beautiful woollen embroideries work equally well as floor rugs and wall hangings.
Chain-stitched kilims are made using a traditional rug making technique (gabba) from Kashmir. As people sat on the floor they were both homewares and decoration.
The designs are by Australian Aboriginal artists, they are then chain-stitched in wool onto a canvas backing each cushion cover is an interpretation of an original artwork, usually a painting.
Front of each rug is wool embroidered onto a cotton canvas and back is cotton canvas with a non-slip surface.
Each rug has a flap on one of the shorter sides for hanging portrait style, simply slide a piece of dowel or curtain rod in and hang. As the artworks are painting on the ground most of the images do not have a set orientation so can also be hung landscape if preferred.
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These are surprisingly hard-wearing and I use them as both rugs and as and beautifully textured affordable works of art.
Limited Edition: Each rug is individually numbered and shipped with an individual document of Authenticity that gives provenance. No more than 100 rugs will ever be made in this design and size.
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Artist: Liddy Napanangka Walker of Warlukurlangu Artists, Yuendumu NT
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SIZE:
Rectangular: 61 cm (24 inches) x 91 cm (36 inches)
Composition: wool (front) and cotton (back)
Color: the color is accurate but more nuanced in real life
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CARE INSTRUCTIONS:
Do not put place/use in direct sunlight or colors may fade. To clean - careful hand-wash in warm water using a wool detergent. Can be ironed on a wool setting.
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Artist: Liddy Napanangka Walker
About the design: Wakirlpirri Jukurrpa (Dogwood Dreaming)

The main motif of this painting depicts the ‘wakirlpirri’ (dogwood [Acacia coriacea]) tree. ‘Wakirlpirri’ is a very useful tree that grows on the sides of creek beds and near ‘mulga’ trees. The seeds of this tree can be eaten raw or cooked on the fire. A deliciously sweet drink called ‘yinjirrpi’ is made from the seeds when they have been dried. The wood can be used to make weapons such as ‘karli’ (boomerangs) and dancing boards for ceremonies. It is also good wood for burning on the fire because rain cannot extinguish burning Wakirlpirri wood. In contemporary Warlpiri paintings traditional iconography is used to represent the Jukurrpa, particular sites and other elements. This Jukurrpa travels from Jarrarda-Jarrayi through to Puturlu (Mount Theo) west of Yuendumu. This Jukurrpa belongs to Japanangka/Japangardi men and to Napanangka/Napangardi women.

About the artist
” I paint my father Japangardi's Dreaming deals and my grandfather's Dreaming. Mt Theo is my father's country and that's what I'm painting the special Dreamings from. The Dreamings I paint are bush tomato, goanna….Goanna likes to fight and is a lover boy. And I paint seed pods and bush potato and hopping mouse. There are lots of stories…I paint strongly.”

Liddy was born in 1925 at Mt Doreen, and spent her younger years living with her family in bush camps. She regularly visited her country around Mt Theo, west of Yuendumu. She lived in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community located 290 kms north-west of Alice Springs, in the NT of Australia, since it was first established and worked in the community in various pastoral care roles including cooking for the sick or the elderly. She started painting on canvas not long after Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, was established in 1985 and Liddy became one of the most important members. Liddy painted her father's Jukurrpa stories, Dreaming stories which relate directly to her land, its features and animals. These stories were passed down to her by her father and her grandfather and their parents before them for millennia.
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About the BWA chainstitch kilim products
These beautiful, unique textiles are a cross-cultural collaboration combining Aboriginal designs and traditional Kashmiri rug-making techniques. Chain stitched, using hand dyed wool, each is a completely handmade piece. A more empowering way to work, this brings many direct benefits to the artists' and their community. Control and ownership of intellectual property are also maintained. Purchase of these products guarantees a direct return to the Aboriginal artist and their community.
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About my connection wtih Better World Arts
I met founder of BWA in 2004 whilst doing a consultancy in the APY Lands preparing marketing plans for five art centres for Ananguku Arts. I was gobsmacked by this terrific fair trade project that Kaltjiti Arts was then doing with Caroline Wilson. As a textile nut, the artisan skills and use of wool appealed to me and the rendering of Indigenous designs in rugs and cushion covers is so lovely. I later encouraged them to work with other art centres and introduced them to Warlukurlangu Artists and Injalak Arts. Flick (founder of Flying Fox Fabrics)
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BWA
Better World Arts has been operating for over two decades. Our role models were Oxfam, Fred Hollows (the Fred Hollows Foundation) and Anita Roddick (The Body Shop).
We work with traditional artisans from remote regions in Kashmir, Peru, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal (Tibetan refugees). More recently we have started working with China, making bone china and silk ties.
We work with Australian Aboriginal artists from remote communities across Australia, from Arnhem Land to Central and the Western Desert regions, from rural locations and from cities.