BLAK
Blak | Artist Jessika Spencer
Friday 24 May - Saturday 13 July 2024
Centred on active decolonisation, Blak is an intimate exploration of culture and life lived as a young Aboriginal woman. Showcasing excerpts of cultural identity, Blak is an act of sovereignty, self-expression and deep homage to ancestral ways. Separated into two distinct sections, it depicts cultural adornments and artefacts from both the land and sea.
As an Aboriginal woman, my work is centred on cultural practises, land management and cultural heritage. I’m a fibre artist, combining both traditional and contemporary techniques to create woven pieces. Sustainability and caring for Country are at the core of my work, I strive to create in a way that won’t harm country or contribute to landfill. Everything is handmade, and original. Coming from Wiradjuri Country, we’re known as the people of the three rivers. My family instilled in me a deep love and connection to waterways, and that drives my work. I have a heavy focus on gathering natural resources from my ancestral home, it’s where the majority of the materials I use come from. I’m fortunate enough to have been taught by many generous First Nations women, predominately across the South East region of Australia. I’m very deliberate in my methodology, I prefer to use and share those familiar techniques when weaving.
Jessika Spencer is a Wiradjuri woman from the Sandhills of Narrungdera (Narrandera), New South Wales. For over the past decade she has resided on beautiful Ngunnawal/ Ngambri country, where she currently creates her art. Her work consists of natural resources and materials carefully collected from country, keeping land management and cultural heritage at the forefront. Through her varied art forms, Jessika explores her cultural identity. She does this via photography, writing, activism and both contemporary and traditional weaving. Jessika is a First Nations weaver, writer and activist.