The K Space Gallery at Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre is proud to present a bold exhibition from Bábbarra Women’s Centre from 2 February to 2 March 2024. Located in Maningrida West Arnhem Land, Bábbarra has served as a hub for community connection, independence, and creativity for over 34 years. With more than 12 language groups in the Maningrida region, the centre is a place for women to come together to share their knowledge and stories. Bábbarra is governed by local women, allowing them to develop their own enterprises and maintain sustainable livelihoods while on country. 

Bábbarra Designs is the main enterprise run by the centre, producing an abundance of textile works created through drawing, screen printing and block printing techniques. The production of fabric art is done completely within the studio, making Bábbarra designs one of the few textiles producing centres to produce their goods completely within the community. The contemporary designs created by the women at Bábbarra tell the ancestral stories of their culture and West Arnhem Land country.

Bábbarra Designs have been using Texta, pencils, and crayons as a key part of their design process for many years. When COVID-19 restrictions halted textile production in the studio, paper and textas were reintroduced to the studio to allow for the continued creation, connection, and storytelling. The Texta on paper works featured in our K Place Gallery are a unique blend of tradition, story, and contemporary Australian art. 

Elizabeth Wullunmingu, a Bábbarra artist, first shared the texta designs that her late mother and prominent artist, D. Gingingara, created for Desert Designs 30 years ago.  These designs inspired the women at Bábbarra to create their own artworks with texta pens—and this exhibition is the result. Through their Texta art, the women found a way to continue to create, connect and share their culture, stories, and traditions, through a bold and familiar new medium. 

Though the studio is now back to its full operation of printing and storytelling, the women still find a sense of peace in these drawings. The Bábbarra Texta works at Godinymayin will be available for viewing and purchase from 2 February to the 13 April 2024. For additional information, contact our gallery coordinator at gallery@gyracc.org.au

Opening Reception: 2 February 6:00pm – 8:00pm

This exhibition has been extended through to April, due to popular demand.