Boorongur Workshop: Weaving with Sharyn Egan

Learn how to make your own Boorongur or ‘totem’ in this weaving workshop with Nyoongar artist Sharyn Egan.

In Nyoongar language, Boorongur refers to a natural object, plant or animal that is inherited by members of a clan or family as their spiritual emblem.

In this workshop, Sharyn invites participants to consider a plant or animal that is important to them and create a raffia, wool and wire sculpture in response. The program offers a shared space for community to engage with Nyoongar cultural knowledges and learn about Sharyn’s material practice.

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Sharyn Egan is a painter, weaver and sculptor. As a member of the Stolen Generation, much of her artwork is a commentary on her life as a Nyoongar woman and the deep sense of loss and displacement experienced by Aboriginal people. Sharyn works across a range of media including painting, sculpture, woven forms and site-specific installations, often choosing materials such as ochres, resins and grasses that connect to land. Her work explores personal and cultural relationships to Country, specifically her home on Nyoongar Boodja.

Presented in conjunction with barangga: First Nations Design at UNSW Galleries, 17 June – 30 July 2023.

Explore the full program