(Clair Bates) Paakantji Aboriginal woman
Proud traditional land owner and direct descendant of the Malingappa/Paakantyi (river people) of the Darling River, western NSW. She still has strong family and community connections in her traditional home country. Paakantyi language was passed down to family members and is spoken fluently in Wilcannia. Clair lived in Newcastle for many years and her 3 ch
ildren and 5 grandchildren are still living there. Clair and her husband now live in the Wyong Shire. Kurlawirra/Clair had the privilege of growing up amongst people like her grandmother who spoke the Paakantyi language and continued to practice her Aboriginal culture. When she was a young girl her grandmother taught her to stitch skin rugs with threads of animal sinew, and to make dilly bags from woven grass.
“Granma could more than hold her own in the European world of fine crochet and embroidery!”
Clair believes that the inspiration and influences for her work were developed when she was a young child growing up in the bush and listening to the stories of her grandmother. Each spring they would collect the native Quondong fruit which grows in the drier areas in Australia. Clair’s mother would often cook the fruit for pies and jams or else they would just eat the fruit straight off the tree. After the quondong fruit was eaten the round seeds were used to play marbles or make jewellery or decorate baskets.
“We used whatever we could find in our local environment and many plants had a variety of uses from food to medicine to household items and always with an artistic and cultural quality”. The desire to learn and practice her Aboriginal culture is what has lead Clair to developing her own fine art skills in basket weaving using both traditional local grasses and ‘gumnuts’ and other plants as well as commercial wools and cane. Clair also has a passion for jewellery and artworks inspired by her Aboriginal heritage and culture. Clair’s basket-weaving and jewellery making has lead to her involvement in festivals and workshops where she can showcase and share these arts and crafts and her Aboriginal cultural story.|
Festivals and Workshops:
• Yabun Festivals 1990 – 2010
• Sutherland Shire Tourism 1995
• Aboriginal Expo (Djiriyay) 2000 Sydney Olympic Games 2000
• Tuggerah Art Space 2010
• Harmony Day Central Coast Festival 21st March 2010
• CMA Conference: Hawkesbury-Nepean Aboriginal Women 6 & 7 May 2010
• Awabakal Cultural Day: Mang Guwan Festival, Newcastle 7 October 2010
• Wagga Wagga Art Gallery workshops 20 – 21 October 2010
• NILCM Conference, Broken Hill 2-5 November 2010
• Mingaletta Women’s group
Galleries
Rainbow Serpent , Sydney
Tribal Art Sydney
