Asha Ardill
20 July 2024, 9:00 PM
If you want to warm up your home in the middle of winter, try immersing yourself in a world of rich brown ochres, enveloping shades of red, and warm charcoals straight from the palette of the world of First Nations art and design. Gratefully there is a wide range of indigenous decor available at your fingertips that can inject both interest and harmony to your space.
One of my favourite interior décor businesses is Willie Weston for their superb textiles. They work in partnership with First Nations artists and “celebrate their diverse artistic output” by producing sophisticated and elegant designs for fabrics, rugs, and wallpapers. Artists are paid for every metre of their design that gets printed. Another is Kakadu Plum Co who also partner with indigenous enterprises to bring a wide range of home products to a larger audience. I love them for their colourful cushions that are so easy to layer into room schemes.
Indigenous art is already on the world stage, and you may think this puts it out of your price range but never forget there are always new emerging talents that deserve support. Online you can find both websites and bricks and mortar galleries that introduce these new artists. These businesses form and maintain meaningful relationships with their artists and then present a curated selection for buyers to choose from. Sites like Japingka and the Kate Owen Gallery are inspirational and accessible. Locally, check out Kiama’s Sevenmarks Gallery right now for their current exhibition of beautiful works from communities in the Northern Territory.
If you are like me, decorating your own home is motivated by making it more liveable, more beautiful and bringing more harmony to daily life. The warmth and structure of indigenous designs can help cultivate a sense of balance and connection within your home.
ART ARCHIVES