Mary Ruway, Gapuwiyak - Woven Basket

• Aboriginal Artist - Mary Ruway
• Community - Gapuwiyak
• Aboriginal Art Centre - Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts
• Materials - Pandanus, natural dyes.
• Size(cm) - H25 L20 W8

Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts Aboriginal Corporation is a recent initiative of the remote East Arnhem Land community of Gapuwiyak, also known as Lake Evella. The organisation is not-for-profit. It was created to enhance the wellbeing of Yolngu people living in the region by supporting their cultural practices, values and intellectual property while providing opportunities for leadership, meaningful employment and professional development.

Pandanus are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs, their leaves “pandan” are commonly used in traditional handicraft. The young leaves are harvested and sliced into fine strips, followed by a colouring process, in which the strips are placed in drums of bush dyes, roots and leaves from different plants sourced in the area. Dye is extracted through bashing and crushing techniques, then added to the water with the pandanus to create these vivid hues. The pandan strips are then woven into intricate baskets and mats,or rolled into ropes for other designs.