Regina Wilson Pilawuk

The work on display reproduces the complex pattern of a Wupun, a sun rug. Originally conical in shape, these mats were objects of choice for a people of hunter-gatherers who used them as baskets, clothing or, laid on the ground, to cover and protect food from the sun. Behind these meticulously affixed lines lies much more than the sacralisation of a craft practice now elevated to the rank of art: it’s a question of paying tribute to and keeping alive a culture and knowledge that goes back thousands of years, like that of basketry. These baskets were woven from the fibres of the pandanus palm.