tayenebe - Tasmanian Aboriginal Women's Fibrework

tayenebe is a Tasmanian Aboriginal word meaning ‘exchange’.

It was the name for a project of reclamation of plant fibre weaving by the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.

Seven gatherings were held across Tasmania between 2006-2008 in which Tasmanian Aboriginal women came together to learn and share land and sea fibre working skills.

The impetus for tayenebe was the desire to reconnect with the cultural craft of Ancestors.

More than twenty five Tasmanian Aboriginal women and girls journeyed together for the determined purpose of cultural retrieval.

Thirty nine Ancestral tirina (twined baskets) made before 1905 in  Lutruwita/Tasmania are held in institutions internationally - these inspired the makers and led to this project.

The unique connections that Tasmanian Aboriginal people have with the land and the sea resulted in the exhibition. tayenebe - Tasmanian Aboriginal womens’  fibrework featured works made by more than twenty women aged from 7 to 87 years of age, particularly made from flag-iris (Diplarenna moraea) and flax-lily (Dianella tasmanica), key plants in traditional basketry, alongside objects made from bull-kelp (Durvillea potatorum) including rikawa (traditional kelp water carriers).

The project was led by Tasmanian Aboriginal women through a partnership between the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the National Museum of Australia and Arts Tasmania.

Between 2009-2012 the exhibition toured from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery to the National Museum of Australia, Queensland Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Koorie Heritage Trust and Flinders University City Gallery.

The contemporary creative works exhibited in tayenebe were acquired by TMAG and the NMA.

tayenebe - Tasmanian Aboriginal womens’ fibre work exhibition and catalogue is dedicated to Aunty Muriel Maynard (1937-2008).

Further information is available at: tayenebe website