Created with charm and skill, these are among the deadliest bags we’ve seen!
With beach, everyday and evening design offerings, they’re the must have fashion accessory for this summer and many to come – as they’re made from indestructible and literally deadly ghost nets washed up on the beaches of the islands and coastlines of the northern reaches of Australia. Â Â It’s our opportunity to support both the work of collecting these nets (which often require bulldozers to dig them out of the sand) and to help spread the word about the harm these nets do to sea life, and help bring about change. Â Â It’s also our opportunity to support this community of industrious, eager and highly creative Torres Strait Islander people who rely on their artwork to generate income where employment is otherwise scarce.
Their community art centre, Erub Erwer Meta (Darnley Island Arts Centre) works to revitalise traditional Erubam le and share it with the world. Â Erub, also known as Darnley Island, is one of the most remote communities in Australia, located 160km north east of Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula. This beautiful volcanic island situated in deep turquoise waters, on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef is home to approximately 400 Erubam people.
A small but expanding group of artists from four tribal groups, the Erub Artists draw their artistic inspiration from their identity, connection to their totems through traditional and contemporary stories about their land, sea and family connections.
Please join us for the launch of these wonderful colourful creations at Tali Gallery on Saturday November 23, from 3 to 6pm.
Here is a link to the Australian Museum’s blog about their forthcoming exhibition of artworks commissioned and created by the same Erub artists who made our bags, to be displayed from mid December:   http://australianmuseum.net.au/blogpost/Science/Ghost-Net-Art-Story-Dauma-Garom a must see!
Erub’s Ghostnet Art Bags
