Freda Ali Wayartja

Biography

Freda Wayartja is a master weaver and cultural leader and educator. She is Burarra, one of the east-side language groups who specialise in the customary conical dilly bags, woven string bags and mats. She is particularly renowned for the use of mirlarl, (malaisia scandens), a type of vine that grows in the coastal jungle. The use of this vine to manufacture fish traps, barriers and large strong dillybags is unique to this region. 

She is a cultural leader in her community, teaching younger generations of weavers and also regularly leading demonstrations and tours for visitors and tourists. 

Languages

Burarra

Community

Maningrida

Date of birth

1959-12-31

Clan

Gamarl

Past Exhibitions

Group

  • 2022
    Thread Count, Agency Projects & Padre Coffee
  • 2020
    Kunmadj - Woven Objects, Japingka, Perth, WA
  • 2020
    The Alchemists, FORM
  • 2017
    Into the Water, Tactile Arts, Darwin, NT
  • 2016
    NAISDA 40th Anniversary Auction, Auction night at Carriageworks, Sydney
  • 2008
    Palya Art, Palya Art at Mary Place, Mary Place, Sydney, NSW
  • 2005
    2005, Fibreforms, Grantpirre Gallery, Sydney, NSW
  • 2004
    2004 Hogarth galleries, Bark paintings, carvings and fibre works from Maningrida, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney, NSW
  • 2003
    2003 weave, Federation Centre for the arts, Bundoora Homestead, VIC, Weave, Federation Centre for the Arts, Bundoora Homestead, VIC
  • 2003
    2003 Bark paintings, sculpture and fibre work by the Maningrida women artists, Bark paintings, sculpture and fibre work by Maningrida women artists,Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2003
    2003 Threads of time, Threads of time, Burrinja gallery, Upwey, VIC
  • 2002
    2002 Material Witness, Material witness, 15th Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial, Tamworth City Gallery, NSW
  • 2002
    2002 Fibre: an exhibition of woven art, Fibre: an exhibition of woven art, Raft artspace, Darwin, NT

Collections

  • Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT