Threads from Meriam Mer

An exuberant Di Stevens, owner and curator of the multi-award winning Tali Gallery introduced the bright and beautiful textiles from Erub Ewer Meta Artists working from the Art Centre on Darnley Island in the Torres Straits, who revitalise their Meriam Mer culture through their arts and crafts. The five Island Groups of TSI Territory lie directly in the path of the Australia-Asia trading routes as demonstrated by the Australian, Papuan and Austronesian elements featuring in their artefacts. Fabrics presented were screen printed with designs inspired by traditional Indigenous stories, songlines and ancestral practices, featuring shells, fish and other sea creatures. Particularly exciting was Di’s showcasing of Erub’s artistic recycling of fishing nets abandoned at sea.