Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion | National Museum of Australia

Name: Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion
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Location: National Museum of Australia

Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion is a celebration of Indigenous art, history and culture through contemporary fashion and design. It brings together a selection of garments and textiles by First Nations designers and artists from around Australia.

Piinpi was on show at the National Museum of Australia from 20 February to 8 August 2021.

Exhibition highlights

Woman standing side-on with hands on her hips, wearing a seedpods patterning top with long sleeves and pants. - click to view larger image — *Seedpods Top and Pant* by Grace Rosendale

Woman with curly hair standing in a field of yellow grass wearing a pink and orange dress - click to view larger image — *Body Armour – A Weave of Reflection Pink and Orange* by Grace Lillian Lee

Woman standing against a purple backdrop decorated with fabric flowers wearing a short seepod patterned dress with one sleeve and a flower headdress - click to view larger image — *Seedpods dress* by Grace Rosendale

Women standing next to green bushes wearing a pink ruffled skirt and striped top, holding a woven basket - click to view larger image — *Pink dress* by Maicie Lalara

Woman standing in front of a red rockface wearing a layered ruffled dress of different colours - click to view larger image — *Legacy dress* by Peggy Griffiths, Delany Griffith, Anita Churchill, Cathy Ward and Kelly-Anne Drill

Woman wearing a yellow dress, shawl and hat, and holding a basket - click to view larger image — *Golden dress* by Bernadette Watt

'Piinpi' is an expression that Kanichi Thampanyu (First Nations people from the East Cape York Peninsula) use to describe changes in the landscape across time and space. For many First Nations people across Australia, knowledge of the land and seasons is culturally important. While the number of seasons can vary across many First Nations groups, the exhibition is themed around four widely recognised seasons.

Curated by Shonae Hobson at Bendigo Art Gallery, Piinpi highlights the strength and diversity of the rapidly expanding Indigenous fashion and textile industry.