By the river - Mandjar Kwoorabup

While we were rehearsing at one end of the Kwoorabup trail, at the other end closer to town, indigenous artists Sandra Hill and Norma McDonald were creating a series of site specific ephemeral artworks on the trail. This was the Mandjar Kwoorabup project designed to give a taste of creating site specific environmental artworks to other indigenous people in the Great Southern region. This again was part of the Denmark Art's Brave New Works community arts festival. There was a fantastic turnout of both indigenous and non indigenous people including children who came along to help out or hang out to see what was going on. Apart from being an opportunity for learning from successful indigenous artists, the project has the long term vision that the creation of site specific artworks on Country by indigenous artists, will help people respect and value a connection to Country.

Paperbark space in memory of ancestors. 

Spirit door - dyes, resins, natural materials, leaves.

Closeup resin dyed strips 

Sandra Hill planned the artworks in minute detail, and Norma brought a wealth of working knowledge about natural resins and dyes. I headed down there a few times to help out and found myself knitting string into odd shaped free form pieces that were component parts of a large 'stretched net' that Sandra completed on the last day. The artworks were made entirely from natural fabrics, paper, natural resins and dyes and found materials. The first work on the trail is a space dedicated to the memory of the ancestors, the indigenous people who lived here in the past. It is a quiet meditative space amongst the paperbarks beside the river. The lengths of dyed cloth and strips enveloping and fluttering in the breezes.Messages written by participants hand on paper mobiles spinning from the branches.

Drawing made by indigenous participants 

Drawing made by indigenous participants - language

A series of drawings in resin hang along the trail made by indigenous participants.


The next big work is based on a mallee fowl nest. The mallee fowl is a native bird that makes a huge mound of plant material in which it lays and buries its eggs. The heat from the composting of the plant matter incubates the eggs. The adult birds maintain the mound and monitor the temperature adding and removing plant litter as needed. When the young hatch they are fully self reliant. The mallee fowl are an endangered species here in Western Australia. For the artwork a large structure was made from found materials with a hollow in the centre. This centre was decorated with dyed and resinous strips and messages written by community members were dropped in the centre. This nest structure represents everyone's need for home and family.

Sandra Hill ,left, and Norma McDonald, right, in front row with helpers behind.
This is looking down into the nest.
Photo by Mike Hemmings.

The large nest beside the river.

Looking inside the nest with resinous strips and messages.

The final artwork by Sandra on the trail is this one, based on the idea of a net. The river and fishing were important in the physical and spiritual lives for the original inhabitants of this region. This is why Sandra chose the net as it was an important metaphor for her. Members of the community each knitted unique pieces of 'net' with string..  These were then dyed, then stitched together and stretched amongst the logs and stumps. This piece represents the need for everyone in the community to work together to create a positive future together.

Closeup of the 'net'.

The 'net' in full view against the river.

 All the unattributed photos were taken by me.

Resin coated leaf

More photos by Mike Hemmings here.