Walala Wasala African Textiles exhibition

Walala Wasala African Textiles exhibition

I've just been invited to the Opening Night of this wonderful exhibition - I love the bold bright colours of ethnic fabric, and there are many stories around this marvellous collection.

"The Walala Wasala exhibition sheds a light on the African continents’ tradition of fabrics in telling African stories and tells of innovation and development efforts.
It is hard to find anywhere, a more colourful recording of history.

This distinctively African method of communication provides an on going record of what is considered significant in the context of a particular time and place. The everyday cloth also offers insights into some of the changes occurring in modern Africa.

The eighty textiles presented are from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tunisia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Zanzibar. Many were acquired through the propaganda fabric sections of political parties in power."

From: 23rd April, 2009
Where: ACU National Gallery @ Strathfield, NSW, Australia
Gate 3, 25 Barker Road, Strathfield

I'm really looking forward to it!

Teena




Join me for a Silk Painting Adventure and a Plus Size Fashion Adventure in Paris, France!
http://www.abfabdesigns.com/adventures.html

Click COMMENTS below to send a message : View TEENA'S SILK PAINTING VIDEOS shown at right ==>

Read more...

Handpainted silk Australian designs

One of my newsletter subscribers asked me today if I had done any handpainted silk using indigenous designs, and so I went back through some photos to find some paintings I did in the early 1990's - not really indigenous designs per se, but a sort of theme nonetheless.



At the time I was a Member of ArtistsForLife, a Sydney-based Australian group of artists whose paintings and exhibitions focussed on endangered species and all Australian animals and wildlife - the Exhibition was in November 1992.

Shown here are a couple of those paintings.

This first one is called KANGAROO WAVING, and you're right - the photo isn't very good - but it was a long time before digital cameras and this is as good as I have.

I love the colours here - the rich red brown of the earth, the bright blue sky with red and yellow highlights. I remember painting all those little triangles around the outside which took forever, but I did like the effect when it was finished. :-)

I liked the black kanga painting so much I did another one using a grey kangaroo - I also increased the size of the triangular border for a different effect, which I quite like; I also added some boomerangs across the skyline for a bit of fun:



My favourite though is always my Kevin Koala, in one of his many reposes, always comfortable, always cute and cuddly, nestling in the crook of a gum tree:

I remember this particular Exhibition very well - it was at the Australian Museum in Sydney, and it was very exciting to hang the paintings in the day, then return for the opening ceremony.

Imagine my surprise when I returned that evening to find the tv cameras set up in front of my paintings! Evidently they thought the 'feel' of the paintings was indigenous, and they chose my paintings to be in the background when the special guest, Burnum Burnum opened the Exhibition. Here's a photo of me with Burnum Burnum, and I'm wearing a handpainted silk sleeveless coat I made to match the paintings.

Above: Teena Hughes and Burnum Burnum at the "Artists For Life"
Exhibition on Endangered Species - Opening Ceremony, Nov 1992.

This is a photo of the silk stretched and being painted before it was cut and sewn into the coat shape:

Above: Habotai silk stretched on wooden frame,
design for coat drawn in gutta, French dyes

Oh what wonderful memories these photos bring back!! A wee trip down memory lane, indeed. I hope you enjoyed it too!

Cheers
Teena

Join me for a Silk Painting Adventure in Paris France July - August 2009!
http://www.a-night-in-paris.com/silk-painting-france.html

Click COMMENTS below to send a message : View the SILK PAINTING VIDEOS shown below.

Read more...

Textile Events in Sydney April 2008

What a gorgeous summer's morning it is in Sydney today!

I've just received an email asking if I know of any textile events in Sydney in April - and I didn't - so I did a quick search and found some links.

Above: Silk tumble - handpainted silk chiffon scarves by Teena Hughes

The Australian TextiLE Arts & Surface Design Association
http://www.atasda.org.au/exhibitions.html


Arts & Crafts NSW

1st April to 30th April -'High Fibre Content'
GALLERY - CRAFT NSW, 104 GEORGE STREET, THE ROCKS

http://www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/Exhibitions.htm


Australia Council for the Arts
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/events


Australian Centre for Craft & Design
not textiles per se, but very interesting
http://www.object.com.au/index.html


Handweavers & Spinners NSW
http://www.nsweave.org.au


the Australian Forum for Textile Arts:
http://www.ggcreations.com.au/tafta/news-eventsNSW.html


Sydney Vintage Clothing, Jewellery & Textiles Show April 2008
http://www.lovevintage.com.au/show.htm



Here's a general link of what's on in Sydney:
http://www.about-australia.com/events/new-south-wales/sydney/


I'm sure there are lots more and you can find them by going to a search engine and typing:

textile event sydney april 2008

or

textile exhibit sydney april 2008

If you find MORE links please do let me know and I'll post them here.

Do let me know if you attend any event, and I'll post your review here on the blog.

Have a gorgeous day!!

Cheers
Teena

Click COMMENTS below to send a message : View the SILK PAINTING VIDEOS shown below.

Read more...