Tjanpi Desert Weavers

Just one week to go until the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair! Here's a little sneak peek of this adorable papa (dog) duo by Leshelle Mclean, making the journey with us to Larrakia Country. 🐶❤️

This year, we're celebrating DAAF's 20th anniversary alongside more than 75 First Nations-owned art centres from across Australia. We can't wait to share a beautiful new collection of baskets, sculptures, and wall hangings awith you.

Come and find us in the heart of the fair, near the sandpit.

• August 6-9 at the Darwin Convention Centre.⁠ More info via or daaf.com.au

Beep beep! How lovely is this mutuka (car) by Roxanne Connelly? 🚗

Roxanne is a young artist from the remote community of Kaltukatjara (Docker River) in the Northern Territory. She joined her first skills and development workshop last year and quickly revealed a natural talent for sculpture, confidently creating ambitious woven works from the outset.

Her mutuka is now on its way to Larrakia Country for the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, alongside an incredible collection of baskets, sculptures and wall hangings by Tjanpi artists.

See you there!

• August 6-9 at the Darwin Convention Centre.⁠ More info via or daaf.com.au⁠
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Photo by Alice Knight.

The countdown is on! In just over a week, we'll be swapping frosty desert mornings for tropical Darwin as we return to the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair ☼

This year DAAF celebrates 20 years and we've packed a stunning collection of hand woven baskets, sculptures, and wall hangings, including this incredible basket by Nangawarra Ward from Warakurna. We’ll be joined by over 75 fellow First Nations Art Centres from right across the country- enjoy a cultural dance performance, look through some incredible artworks - and pick yourself up something special. We can't wait to see you there.
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• August 6-9 at the Darwin Convention Centre.⁠
More info at daaf.com.au⁠
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Photo by Jade Brockley ft Nangawarra's sweet papa

Now available online: Nintiringanyi, Kunpuringanyi (Learning, Becoming Strong) by Rosalind Yibardi, Sheryth Bronson and Angelina Bronson 🌾

This collaborative work celebrates the strength of intergenerational weaving knowledge, shared through families and communities across the NPY Lands. Using tjanpi (native desert grass), raffia, merino wool and steel, the artists have transformed traditional coil weaving techniques into a striking contemporary wall work.

View Nintiringanyi, Kunpuringanyi online here > tjanpi.com.au/products/nintiringanyi-kunpuringanyi-learning-becoming-strong

Happy Monday! Bluey's doing his rounds... quality control, obviously. 🐕💙⁠
Follow our favourite papa (dog) as he sniffs out the woven wonders filling our Mparntwe gallery, all made by Anangu and Yarnangu women.⁠
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We're open weekdays, 10am–4pm at 3 Wilkinson St.⁠
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If one of these beauties (or Bluey himself, by Joyce James) has stolen your heart, email [email protected].⁠
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Photos by Wendy Harris & Veronica James.

We're stocked up online and in the gallery! 🌾🌞⁠
Aṉangu artists Eva Braedon, Doreen Driffen, Betty and Teegan Hayes have been working hard to bring you a wiru (beautiful) collection of earrings.
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Shop online, or come down to our Mparntwe (Alice Springs) gallery at 3 Wilkinson St, Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm to see what's new!

> tjanpi.com.au/collections/jewellery-and-beads

Photos by Alyssa Paul and Veronica James.

Closing soon in Sydney!
If you're on Gadigal Country, don't miss the opportunity to see 'Minyma Punu Kungkarangkalpa' (Seven Sisters Tree Women) in person at 🌾

Using coiled and bound tjanpi (grass), raffia, fencing wire, feathers and wool, eight Tjanpi artists came together on Country to create the distinct figures, part tree, part woman, telling the important Seven Sisters story.
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"We like working with the grasses that grow on our land. The land inspires us to make things. We have been making trees and we loved them so much, but we also had set our hearts on creating the Seven Sisters. Because the Seven Sisters came from the land itself, we decided that we wanted them to resemble trees because they are so closely associated with the land. They have breasts, though, these tree-like women."
Ilawanti Ungkutjuru Ken, 2013

📍 Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Level 2
🗓️ Final day: Monday 20 July⁠
Photograph by Hamish McIntosh, courtesy of MCA.

This post contains the name and images of Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM (1947–2025), shared with her family's permission and in accordance with her wishes, so that her work for art, Aṉangu and culture continues to be remembered.

Opening this week at is a very special exhibition honouring a very special woman, Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM.

Presented in collaboration with , 'Nyuyuntja: Stoking of the Fire, Keeping the Fire Alive' celebrates Tjunkaya's extraordinary lifetime of work across ceramics, batik, painting and weaving.

Featuring works created during the final years of her life, the exhibition pays tribute to Mrs Tapaya's immense contribution to Aṉangu culture and honours her lifelong commitment to carrying stories, knowledge and cultural practice forward for future generations. Realised through the collective efforts of many artists working under Tjunkaya's vision, the exhibition stands as a powerful celebration of her enduring legacy.

EXHIBITION OPENING EVENT
Saturday 18 July 2026
1:00pm - 4:00pm
JamFactory Tarntanya/Adelaide, Kaurna Country
RSVP via the JamFactory website

Photo by Connor Patterson, courtesy of JamFactory

Happy NAIDOC Week 🖤💛❤️⁠
As we celebrate this year's NAIDOC theme, 50 Years Deadly, we're shining a light on just some of our deadly artists!
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Meet Beryl Bell from Kaltukatjara (Docker River) 👋🏾⁠

Beryl has been creating fibre artworks for a long time, often creating bright and colourful sculptures that depict tinkas (lizards) and tjilkamartas (echidnas). She learnt to make tjanpi sculptures from her mother Mrs. Bell, one of the early women of Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Beryl's work has exhibited widely, including three international exhibitions since 2024 in France, Brazil and South Korea!

As well as weaving, Beryl is an established painter with Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjara Arts. She paints important tjukurpa (creation stories) from around the Docker River area.

Photo by Ruby Henderson-Leconte.

Happy NAIDOC Week 🖤💛❤️⁠
As we celebrate this year's NAIDOC theme, 50 Years Deadly, we're shining a light on just some of our deadly artists!
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Meet Julie Yangki from Mimili on the APY Lands 👋🏾⁠

Julie is a dedicated and skilled Tjanpi weaver who applies her knowledge to sculptures, baskets and metal frames. Julie makes distinctive, beautiful and highly sought after artworks featuring wangunu and minirri (native grasses), hand-dyed twined raffia and at times stitched emu feathers. She is a patient and steady weaver, taking the time to create well-formed, thoughtful pieces, which always stand out from the crowd.

Julie has exhibited widely, including Desert Mob, and has contributed to major collaborative public art commissions, with her work now featured in the Department of Infrastructure and Transport building in Adelaide.

Julie is a strong cultural woman in her community of Mimili, and a superb inma dancer too!

Photo by Kate Murphy.