An exhibition titled ‘The Jarracharra – Dry Season Wind’ presented by the Australian Embassy in cooperation with Sadu House opened at the Sadu House on 16 April.
In a statement the Australian Embassy said: We are proud to be working with Sadu House — a center that has dedicated itself to the preservation and revival of Kuwaiti textiles arts — to present these vital works of Australian Indigenous craftsmanship to the Kuwaiti community.
The exhibition tells the story of over 25 artists from the Babbarra Women’s Center in Australia. For the Burarra tribes in Australia’s Northern Territory ‘Jarracharra’ signals the arrival of the dry season winds, which have brought people together for ceremony, dance, and rituals to celebrate the ripening of bush foods, medicines, and plants for tens of thousands of years.
Today, ‘Jarracharra’ has brought our community together once again. To celebrate this important cross-cultural exchange and to further recognize the works of female artists, Sadu House has invited three local Kuwaiti designers to work with the Australian aboriginal fabric designs and showcase their work at the exhibition.
The three designers are: Bibi Al Ghanim, a furniture designer and owner of Maze Creative Concept; Haya Al Abdulkareem, an accessories designer and owner of Folklore the Label; and Souad Al Sabah, a fashion designer and owner of Sirdab 6.
Speaking about the exhibition, Australian Ambassador H.E. Jonathan Gilbert said: “I am absolutely delighted to be able to bring this exhibition to Kuwait. The artists of the Babbarra Women’s Center have brought their ancient, but still living rich culture to bear through these artworks. These pieces tell the stories of their lives and history, much in the way that Sadu House tells the story of Kuwait. We are equally pleased to engage and collaborate with local Kuwaiti artists and designers, who are using these fabrics for their complementary pieces, to celebrate our two cultures and women in the arts.”
For her part, Sadu House founder, Sheikha Bibi Al-Sabah said: “We welcome and celebrate cultural exchange in all its forms, especially that which enhances the evolving role of crafts as strong cultural symbols and contemporary forms of inspiration, creative expression, and identity.
I wholeheartedly welcome the Jarracharra artists and their bold meaningful textiles and thank as well our distinguished Kuwaiti designers: Souad Al Sabah, Bibi Al Ghanim and Haya Abdel Kareem for their inspirational designs that merge so well with the strong colors of the Australian indigenous textile arts.”
The Australian Embassy looks forward to sharing the stories and traditions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have contributed to Australia’s history, through this exhibition that encompasses over 40 designs belonging to over 25 artists, and we look forward to building more connections with Kuwait’s foremost cultural facilities, such as Sadu House, to share our rich traditions and histories.
The ‘Jarracharra: Dry Season Wind’ exhibition will be showcased at Sadu House from 16 April to 23 April, and is open to the public from 10am to 2pm, and from 8pm to 11pm.