Jarracharra: where aboriginal art and Indian block printing collaborate Premium

Jarracharra an exhibition of Australian indigenous textile art in Bengaluru

People around the world are different and yet everywhere they are the same. Just as the Indian methods of block printing from Rajasthan, which were preserved over generations and revived, so too artisans from Bábbarra Women’s Centre in Maningrida, the far north of Australia, have endeavoured to preserve their traditional methods and patterns of printing.

The Bábbarra Women’s Centre comprise members from Australia’s First Nations people, a term which refers to aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who have been part of the country’s cultural landscape for over 65,000 years. The Centre has been helping aboriginal women from Maningrida community “develop and run women-centred enterprises that support healthy and sustainable livelihoods,” since 1987.

When artisans from the Bábbarra Women’s Centre visited the Tharangini studio in Bengaluru in early 2023, they were introduced to different, more lasting methods of block printing. Traditionally, aboriginal artisans would carve designs on lino blocks. “Lino is a byproduct of linoleum and tends to disintegrate over time. As a result, a lot of ancient artworks created by elders in the tribe were lost or vanishing and they were on the lookout for methods to preserve these patterns for posterity,” says Padmini Govind, a partner at Tharangini Studio in Bengaluru.

Artisans at Tharangini, a heritage textile handcraft studio, spent over three months translating Bábbarra’s traditional designs into hand-carved woodblocks, and, as a result, they co-created textiles that merged Indian woodblock carving and indigenous Australian designs. Apart from learning the fine points of block carving, the artisans from Babbarra also learnt the nuances of mixing natural dyes and printing at Tharangini.

While the hope of future collaborations gleam on the horizon, there is a certain balance to be maintained. According to Maningrida community beliefs, some of the designs and patterns are sacred and could be replicated or drawn only by select members. “While translating these patterns onto woodcut, we wanted to ensure we had done justice and given respect to the work entrusted to us,” says Padmini.

For Sarah Kirlew, Australian Consul General for South India, “The exhibition is a chance to engage with a part of Australia, which not many people know about. It’s become increasingly important to proactively tell our First Nation stories. First Nation culture is an important part of our modern national identity and we are engaged in a process of national reconciliation.”

“Traditionally, indigenous art was done on rock using natural ochres or in the sand as a form of storytelling, eventually moving to bark and, later, textiles as a way of expressing those stories,” says Sarah.