Reclamation | Jessika Spencer (Wiradjuri)

Jessika Spencer is a Wiradjuri woman from the Sandhills of Narrungdera (Narrandera) in New South Wales. A First Nations weaver, writer and activist, she has lived on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country for more than a decade. 

Jessika’s practice is grounded in natural materials carefully gathered from Country, holding to a strong emphasis on land management and cultural heritage. Working across photography, writing and both contemporary and traditional weaving, Jessika explores and expresses her cultural identity. 

I work with materials gathered from the land including seed pods, shell, and bone, which I use in weaving, eco-dyeing and jewellery. These materials hold memory and presence; my role is to guide their stories and spirit to flow through the work. 

In 2023, I was a Traditional Adornment finalist in the National Indigenous Fashion Awards, affirming my commitment to honouring cultural knowledge while extending creative boundaries. 

I am currently returning to sewing, relearning a skill that once felt like second nature. This process has inspired new work in garment-making, fibre installation, and adornment. At its heart, my practice is about remembering and paying homage to old ways, lost skills and personal stories. It is about sharing them in forms that are tactile, immersive and deeply rooted in culture.’