INDIGENOUS DESIGN
Indigenous design from Australia and far away.
SOLAZUL HANDMADE | Facatativa Dbl Thread Handwoven Bag
Regular price $249.95 Sale price $149.00 $149.00To make this traditional handcrafted crocheted bag can take more than one month of work. The bags are all 100% handmade by the indigenous artisans of the Wayuu community of the La Guajira Peninsula, Colombia.
Sol Azul Handmade is the brainchild of social entrepreneur Rosanna Redondo. Like many talented women, Rosanna started Sol Azul handmade as a COVID project when she was visiting Colombia during the lockdown.
She works closely with the Wayuu women near her own childhood home and adds her sophisticated eye for detail to develop some truly beautiful and totally wearable cultural fashion pieces.
Every single Sol Azul bag is different and unique and is easy to recognise for its colours and intricate designs.
Composition: 100% Cotton
SOLAZUL HANDMADE | Urrao Single Thread Handwoven Crossbody
Regular price $299.95 Sale price $179.95 $179.95To make this traditional handcrafted crocheted bag can take more than one month of work. The bags are all 100% handmade by the indigenous artisans of the Wayuu community of the La Guajira Peninsula, Colombia.
Single Thread bags are made with a much finer cotton thread. They take longer to weave than the double thread bags and have a tighter structure, yet still, evoke the handwoven look. This results in a beautiful bag unlike anything machine-made.
Sol Azul Handmade is the brainchild of social entrepreneur Rosanna Redondo. Like many talented women, Rosanna started Sol Azul handmade as a COVID project when she was visiting Colombia during the lockdown.
She works closely with the Wayuu women near her own childhood home and adds her sophisticated eye for detail to develop some truly beautiful and totally wearable cultural fashion pieces.
Every single bag is different and unique and is easy to recognise for its colours and intricate designs.
SOLAZUL HANDMADE | Topaipa Dbl Thread Handwoven Bag
Regular price $249.95 Sale price $149.00 $149.00To make this traditional handcrafted crocheted bag can take more than one month of work. The bags are all 100% handmade by the indigenous artisans of the Wayuu community of the La Guajira Peninsula, Colombia.
Sol Azul Handmade is the brainchild of social entrepreneur Rosanna Redondo. Like many talented women, Rosanna started Sol Azul handmade as a COVID project when she was visiting Colombia during the lockdown.
She works closely with the Wayuu women near her own childhood home and adds her sophisticated eye for detail to develop some truly beautiful and totally wearable cultural fashion pieces.
Every single bag is different and unique and is easy to recognise for its colours and intricate designs.
SOLAZUL HANDMADE | Fonseca Single Thread Handwoven Crossbody
Regular price $299.95 Sale price $179.00 $179.00
Pretty....amazing is how you'll feel in the Fonseca single thread handwoven crossbody bag. Get ready to be stopped in public. This bag is a one-of-a-kind in many ways.
To think that with just a thin thread and crochet needles, the women of the Guajira peninsula in Colombia can transform raw material into a masterpiece. Your purchase is helping their subsistence and their economy.
To make this single thread handcrafted crocheted bag can take more than one month of work. SolAzul bags are all 100% handmade by the indigenous artisans of the Wayuu community of the La Guajira Peninsula, Colombia.
Sol Azul Handmade is the brainchild of social entrepreneur Rosanna Redondo. Like many talented women, Rosanna started Sol Azul handmade as a COVID project when she was visiting Colombia during the lockdown.
She works closely with the Wayuu women near her own childhood home and adds her sophisticated eye for detail to develop some truly beautiful and totally wearable cultural fashion pieces.
Every single Sol Azul bag is different and unique and is easy to recognise for its colours and intricate designs.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Ruth Napaljarri Stewart Tea Towel
Regular price $21.95 $21.95The purpose of the tea towel is not as it once was. Not just a gift for your great aunty overseas to sit in the third draw down, these amazing designs from esteemed Aboriginal artist such as Ruth Stewart deserve pride of place in our own lives, whether it's as wall art hanging as a focal centrepiece on your living room wall, used as a thoughtful and sustainable gift wrapping alternative, or to dry and shine up your delicate teacups or wine glasses.
Made in Australia
Dimensions: 45cm x 75cm (approx)
Ruth Napaljarri Stewart paints many different themes and stories that were passed down to her by her father. Ruth is the younger sister of the successful artist Paddy Japaljarri Stewart, a senior elder at Yuendumu. Her traditional country is in the Mount Allen region of the Northern Territory.
More about the artist:
Ruth has painted with Warlukurlangu Artists since the 1980's, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu. Her native language is Warlpiri. Her work has been exhibited far and wide and hold a permanent spot on the wall as at the Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Betty Pula Morton Tea Towel
Regular price $21.95 $21.95As the textiles renaissance takes place, the role of the tea towel begins to shift. Not just a gift for your great aunty overseas, these amazing designs from esteemed Aboriginal artist deserves pride of place in our own lives, whether wall art hanging as a focal centrepiece on your living room wall, used as a thoughtful and sustainable gift wrapping alternative, or to dry and shine up your delicate teacups or wine glasses.
Betty has been painting with Artists of Ampilatwatja since 2013. She draws her inspiration from the country where she goes hunting or looking for bush yams and bush bananas, “sometimes I just like to go out there to see country”.
Made in Australia
Dimensions: 45cm x 75cm (approx)
The Artists of Ampilatwatja community was established in 1999 near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The work produced by the artists is recognisably distinct from other Aboriginal artistic communities, due to the application of fine dots and the often bright, figurative depiction of the land.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Alana Ngwarraye Holmes Tea Towel
Regular price $21.95 $21.95“This is my country. I paint because I enjoy painting. My Mother, Edie Holmes let us paint with her when we were young and now we paint all the time. We still paint and talk together in a family group with our kids.” – Alana Holmes
As the textiles renaissance takes place, the role of the tea towel begins to shift. Not just a gift for your great aunty overseas, these amazing designs from esteemed Aboriginal artist deserves pride of place in our own lives, whether it's hanging as a focal centrepiece on your living room wall, used as a thoughtful and sustainable gift wrapping alternative, or to dry and shine up your delicate teacups or wine glasses.
Made in Australia
Dimensions: 45cm x 75cm (approx)
The community of Ampilatwatja made a conscious decision not to paint altyerr dreaming stories. The artists paint their country where those stories sit.
Alana has painted her country after rain where the ground may seem dry but the flowers and trees are green and growing strong.
Alana's mother Edie Holmes is a well known artist of Ampilatwatja, who taught Alana how to paint when she was a young child.
Like many mums, Alana is extremely busy with four children to look after and though she loves to paint she does not get the time to paint like she used to.
Based on the artwork by Alana Holmes.
Includes information about the artist and artwork.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Nora Davidson Tote Bag
Regular price $35.95 $35.95Here at Fora, we celebrate nature and the myriad of colours it embues.
Nora Davidson's artwork is proudly colourful and bold. Using this lightweight and well-sixed tote bag will have you mesmerised by the shimmering planes of colour, rich hues, light effects and her delicate dotwork.
Nora's works are inspired by the stories of her country which were passed down to her by elders in her community. Most of Nora's body of work explores and reflects her love of the themes of her country, Illurrpa, her ancestor's way of life and her own traditional bush upbringing.
Through Nora's skill, technique and deep understanding of the medium she allows the us profound insight into her family's heritage as well as an education and knowledge of the land.
Nora Davidson was born in 1955 in Multju near the community of Jameson where her family are the custodians of the story for the area of Illurrpa. Nora was brought up in a traditional bush life and is a proud speaker of Ngaanyatjarra language.
She currently lives with her family in the Papulankutja Community (Blackstone), a remote Aboriginal Community, located at the foothills of the Blackstone Ranges in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Western Australia.
Papulankutja Artists evolved out of the Women’s Centre where painting has been encouraged as an activity since 2001. Once registered as an Aboriginal Corporation in 2004 the artists were now able to govern their art centre independently.
In 2009 Papulankutja Artists moved into a purpose built art centre with rooms for men and women to paint. As well as their paintings Papulankutja Artists are known for their innovative fibre work and carvings from local wood.
Cotton Tote Bag
All over Print.
Print placement will vary between bags and from image shown.
Made in Australia
Dimensions (Approx):
Bag: 40cm x 40cm.
Base Gusset: 16cm
Handles: 60cm
Based on artwork by Nora Davidson from Papulankutja Artists located at Blackstone, Western Australia.
Includes information about the artist and artwork.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Charlene Marshall Visor
Regular price $24.95 $24.95In Australia, many of us need protection from glare and UV rays most of the year. Why not bring art into your everyday wearing your very own adjustable visor featuring incredible artwork by Charlene Marshall from Warlukurlangu Artists, reproduced under license.
Charlene Napanangka Marshall was born in Alice Springs and grew up in the remote community of Nyirripi.
Charlene grew up watching her aunt Eunice Napangardi, a well-known and very important artist, paint Yuparli (bush banana) dreamings.
Charlene has been inspired to paint and carry on the tradition within her family. “My kids like my paintings, they like the colours”. Charlene paints Wanakiji Jukurrpa (Bush Tomato Dreaming), Yuparli Dreaming (Bush Banana Dreaming), and Karnta Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming).
Royalties from this product directly benefit the artist and their community.
- Adjustable Snapback closure
- Pre Curved peak
- 100% Acrylic
Each visor is unique. This variation occurs because it depends on where the pattern has been cut on the fabric.
Established in 1985 Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation that is 100% Aboriginal-owned by its artists from the remote desert communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi in Central Australia.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Watson Robertson Drawstring Bag
Regular price $29.95 $29.95Sometimes we want a lightweight bag to take on errands. Ditching the sweaty leather, synthetic or man-made material for 100% cotton is an easy decision when you have designs featuring works by some of Australia's talented artists such as First Nations artist Watson Robertson.
Watson Jangala Robertson was born into a family of established Warlpiri artists and grew up in the Yuendumu community, located 290 km north-west of Alice Springs. His family would take him out bush, around Nyirripi and Yuendumu, showing him sites and teaching him the traditional ways of his country.
Watson doesn't restrict his colour palette to depict his traditional iconography so he has developed a modern individual style, using bold designs in many ways.
Just as he was taught growing up, he often spends time hunting for food and bush tucker with family and friends, hunting for food such as goanna, kangaroo, snake, and witchetty grubs as well as bush tucker, such as native currants, bush potato and bush banana.
Established in 1985, Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu and Nyirripi. Watson began to paint with the corporation in 2016.
As shown, Watson paints his Mother’s Watiya-warnu Jukurrpa (Seed Dreaming - top) and his grandfather’s Ngapa Jukurrpa – Puyurru (Water Dreaming - bottom), stories passed down to him through the many generations such as creation stories that relate to his family’s traditional country.
These traditions stretch back for millennia.
Each Watson Robertson drawstring bag has a unique print placement so each will differ slightly from the image shown. Information about Watson Robertson is included with the artwork.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Judy Watson Dog & Pet Bandana
Regular price $9.95 $9.95‘I listen and hear those words a hundred years away
That is my Grandmother’s Mother’s Country
it seeps down through blood and memory and soaks
into the ground’
Judy Watson
Established in 1985, Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation that is 100% Aboriginal-owned by its artists from the remote desert communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi in Central Australia.
Made in Australia, this cute-as 100% cotton pet bandana features the incredible artwork by Judy Watson reproduced under license from Warlukurlangu Artists in the Northern Territory.
Worn on the collar rather than the neck it is one size fits most canines and felines in size. Simply slip the collar all the way through the bandana opening. The bandana is now attached to the collar so you don't have to worry about it untying.
Artwork/placement varies between bandana so each design is unique and may varies from image shown.
More about the artist:
It was this design that I saw hanging from a small gift store in the Northern New South Wales town of Brunswick Heads. It appealed to me so much and led me to Alperstein Designs and their collaboration with indigenous artists, something I had been searching for. Judy's work is eye-catching, the colours and shapes mesmerising,
Judy Watson has described her experiences of travelling to her great-grandmother’s country in north-west Queensland, as ‘learning from the ground up’. It is a philosophy she has transplanted on her several journeys and residencies abroad. A distinguished artist, Judy represented Australia at the 1997 Venice Biennale,
Watson’s matrilineal link to the country of her ancestors has always been central to her printmaking and painting. The hidden histories of Indigenous experience on the colonial frontier – particularly those of women – continue to inspire her. Watson seeks the indelible impressions of past presence on the landscape – rubbings, engravings and incisions – and subtly inscribes them upon her work.
Through her art, Watson repatriates the human artefacts and objects of collected cultures in museum storehouses, and reveals the ‘skeletons’ in colonial ‘closets’:
This magnificent artist interview by the Tate Gallery gives us an insight into Judy's work and inspiration. Along with her pieces, Judy's journey into understanding her grandmother's and great grandmother's stories, also helps us to confront Aboriginal history in this country. Watch out for Judy's mum Joyce. She's a national treasure!
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Eucalyptus Bar Soap
Regular price $14.95 $14.95This beautiful Australian Made Soap is scented with Eucalyptus and contains luxurious Goats Milk & Shea Butter. Hand wrapped with artwork by Victorian Artist Mick Harding (Ngarga Warendj - Dancing Wombat) this divine soap makes a special gift.
Royalties from this product directly benefit the artist. Mick Harding belongs to the Yowung-Illam-Baluk clan of the Taungwurung people - a tribe of the Kulin nation. Mick was born in Melbourne.
Mick draws inspiration from the compelling legends of his people and weaves the images of those legends into each of his original artworks, which reflect the unique symbols and artifacts of South East Australia. Each of the artworks Mick creates, is linked to a legend and challenges the viewer to understand their place in the story.
Mick is both an artist and a cultural educator, and it’s his goal to share the unique stories and culture of the Taungurung people through his artwork. FInd out more about Mick's amazing creative studio Ngarga Warendj here.
- 200g (7.5.oz)
- Made in Australia
- Not tested on Animals
- Soap Dimensions (approximate, may vary): 10cm x 5.5cm x 3.5cm
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Fiona Puruntatemeri 'Jilimara' Tea Towel
Regular price $21.95 $21.95As the textiles renaissance takes place, the role of the tea towel begins to shift. Not just a gift for your great aunty overseas, these amazing designs from esteemed Aboriginal artist deserves pride of place in our own lives, whether it's hanging as a focal centrepiece on your living room wall, used as a thoughtful and sustainable gift wrapping alternative, or to dry and shine up your delicate teacups or wine glasses.
Royalties from this product directly benefit the artist and their community.
Cotton Tea Towel
Made in Australia
Dimensions: 45cm x 75cm (approx)
Tea towel artwork/placement varies from tea towel to tea towel so each one is a little bit different.
Based on artwork by Fiona Puruntatameri from Munupi Arts & Craft Association (Tiwi Islands).
Includes information about the artist and artwork.
Drawing inspiration from their natural lush environment and Tiwi creation stories, Munupi artists employ ochres, gouache and acrylic paint. Munupi Arts and Crafts are also highly regarded for the diversity of their range of works including painting, pottery, carving, weaving, screen prints, etchings, linocut prints, lithographs and screen printed textiles.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Hair Scrunchies - Warlukurlangu Artists
Regular price $4.95 $4.95Royalties from this product directly benefit the artists and their community.
Cotton Hair scrunchies featuring artwork from Warlukurlangu Artists.
Established in 1985 Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation that is 100% Aboriginal-owned by its artists from the remote desert communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi in Central Australia.
Print placement may vary between scrunchies and from images shown.
Made in China
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Betty Pula Morton 7 " Plate
Regular price $22.95 $22.957" Fine Bone China Plate
Based on artwork by Betty Pula Morton.
Presented in a giftbox featuring information about the artist and artwork.
Betty has been painting with Artists of Ampilatwatja ((pronounced um-bludder-witch) )since 2013. She draws her inspiration from the country where she goes hunting or looking for bush yams and bush bananas, “sometimes I just like to go out there to see country”.
Made in Australia
Dimensions: 45cm x 75cm (approx)
The Artists of Ampilatwatja community was established in 1999 near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The work produced by the artists is recognisably distinct from other Aboriginal artistic communities, due to the application of fine dots and the often bright, figurative depiction of the land.
ALPERSTEIN DESIGNS | Murdie Morris Macadamia Oil Hand Cream
Regular price $19.95 $19.95Macadamia Oil & Goats Milk Hand Cream with Shea Butter & Argan Oil.
Made with nourishing Goats Milk & blended with Macadamia Oil for skin conditioning and helping to maintain soft and healthy skin.
Features artwork by Murdie Morris from Warlukurlangu Artists of Yuendumu, Australia.
Packaging features information about the artist, artwork and art centre.
Royalties from this product directly benefit the artist and their community.
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