Visual Artist | Weaver | Sculptor
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Dr Keft’s work tells a story of Dharawal Country, but it is a story that begins and continually returns to Murrawarri Country, Brewarrina, the fish traps, and the Barwon river. Baiame’s Ngunnhu (the ancient fish traps) is a sacred meeting place for Murrawarri, Ngemba, Ualarai, and Wailwan Peoples.
The central motif of Wirambi (the Flying Fox), celebrates connection to place and community. Woven sculptural bats are created using ancient weaving techniques passed from Elders to the artist; emphasising that Culture persists. The contemporary figurative elements of the bats are interwoven with Aboriginal symbols and patterns. The woven branches on which the bats hang represent the complex and fragile connections between family, Culture, Country and Language. Country is light, it is shadow, animals, plants - Country is what we can, and cannot see. Culture, family, the shape of nature - this is the stuff of my art." |
Dr Virginia Keft
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Weaving Connections
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Weaving Connections is a series of activations that support cultural connection and build understanding through collaborative weaving. The series aims to start conversations about identity, Culture, and community in a culturally safe and supportive environment. The weaving techniques presented by Dr Virginia Keft in these activations have been carried across thousands of years by women Elders, each one carrying this knowledge for the next generation to come. Weaving Connections is about knowledges given, knowledges stolen and knowledges reclaimed.
The participatory activations will create a weaving and yarning circle in the gallery space. The aim of the Circle is to bring communities together to weave and yarn. Dr Keft will share basic weaving techniques and then participants will be invited to share time, stories, and physical space in the circle as they weave. At the conclusion of each circle participants are invited to contribute the pieces they have made to a collaborative artwork. The resulting artwork is a beautiful conglomeration of individual works that form a whole and stand as a lasting memory of the yarn and the people who were present - a gentle protest to Westernised museum practice that prioritizes one artist and the final result rather than the process by which the work came to exist. The activations create a dialogue between the static works in the gallery and the physical presence of the weavers and blur the line between art and viewer. They speak to traditional practices at the same time engaging in a powerful vision of contemporary arts practice where past, present, and future speak across time to resistance, healing, and connection. The circle is open to people of all backgrounds. The open and non-hierarchical status of the circle looks toward reconciliation and invites non-Indigenous participants into positive two-way relationships built on trust, reciprocity and respect. |
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NEWS
Winner
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Big thanks to the Mary and Lisa, and the whole curatorial team for such a great hang. Huge congratulations to early career artist award winner Nicola Mason, and local artist award winner Shahroud Ghahani. Congratulations to all the other finalists.
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Muru Award, HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures | 2023 | Winner
I’m over the moon to be awarded Winner of the Muru Award at HIDDEN Rookwood Sculptures 2023 for my work, The Colony. A huge thanks to the judges, Julie Clarke-Jones and Raelene Billedo Locke, the HIDDEN team, and especially, Dr Kath Fries, for all your hard work to put together such a fantastic exhibition. Congratulations to all of the other finalists and award winners! |
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yapang Emerging Art Prize | 2023 | Winner
I’m beyond excited to announce that my work, We were here long before the Hills Hoist, has been selected as a finalist in the 2023 yapang Emerging Art Prize! The yapang Emerging Art Prize is an acquisitive biennial art prize developed to celebrate, promote and support emerging First Nations artists from across the country, it’s an absolute honour to be included. The finalist exhibition will be at Museum of Art and Culture yapang (MAC yapang) from 29 July - 17 September 2023. |
photography by Katherine Williams
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Blacktown City Art Prize | 2022/23 | Highly Commended
I'm proud to announce that my art work, The Colony On Show, has been awarded a highly commended in the 2022/23 Blacktown City Art Prize! It's an honour to have my work receive this recognition. Congratulations to all the artists in the finalist exhibition and to Blacktown Arts for putting on a great show! ----- The Blacktown City Art Prize exhibition is open to the public now until Friday, 17 February 2023 |
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GreenWay Art Prize | 2022 | Highly Commended
My work, wirambi connections, has been awarded Highly Commended in the 2022 GreenWay Art Prize! Thank you to the judges and organisers that have made this great event a reality. You can see my work alongside this year's other prize winners at Art Est in Leichhardt until 30 November. |
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
I acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land throughout the Dharawal Country. I recognise all the Aboriginal Nations who have a continuing connection to this Country, sea, Land, and community. I pay my deepest respects to Elders, past, present, and emerging who are integral our history and our future.
I acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land throughout the Dharawal Country. I recognise all the Aboriginal Nations who have a continuing connection to this Country, sea, Land, and community. I pay my deepest respects to Elders, past, present, and emerging who are integral our history and our future.
