Interwoven Remnants

“My Spinifex Hill Studio residency had a focused intention: to help reduce waste being sent to landfill via re-purposing for a collaborative weaving outcome. Interwoven Remnants seeks to inspire collaboration, connection and exploration through reciprocal dialogue concerning resources, discarded materials, and strategies on creative reuse in the studio and in the community. Inspired by László Moholy-Nagy’s approach in Vision in Motion (1947), I have capitalised his utopian philosophy regarding art’s capacity to initiate positive change in a productive way, putting forth, emphasising, and focusing on a single material aesthetic.  

 Any successful art studio will discard materials, such as the random and irregular canvases offcuts used in this work. We stripped each into a long narrow piece, then folded and stitched them to hold a single zig zag pattern, with pairs of strips plaited together to create an intertwining weave. The fusion of the woven pieces and the ritual actions of repetitive movements and patterns gave life force and authority to this experimental work.  

During my residency, the artists and I exchanged stories of family, cultural celebrations, intergenerational relationships among community members, and the need for a safe and supported environment in which to create. I shared similar sentiments about how I forged a sense of community in my newfound home of Broome.  

Living and practising in a multicultural community is special. The motivation is different: it is respectful and demands sensitive storytelling. Culture comes from place, and the Kimberley and Pilbara have such rich and diverse narratives that grow from strong family connections. I continue to learn more about the resilience, stability and diversity of relationships in the South Hedland community, and that interdependence is channelled through this collaborative work.”

Jacky Cheng , 2023

Photos by Dan MacBride