Woven Papa (Dog) Sculpture – Glenys James

Handwoven dog sculpture by Glenys James.

Tjanpi (meaning grass in Pitjantjatjara language) is used by Aboriginal women living in remote Central and Western Desert communities (WA, SA, NT) to create spectacular contemporary fibre art.

When collecting desert grasses (minarri, wangurnu and yirlintji), women visit sacred sites and traditional homelands, hunt and gather food for their families, and teach children about country. Grass is bound with wool, string or raffia and combined with yirnirnti (red seeds of the bat-wing coral tree) and wipiya (emu feathers). 

About the artist: 

Glenys James is a Pitjantjatjara woman from Kaltukatjara (Docker River), a remote community in the Northern Territory. She was born in the bush near Areyonga in the 1960s and spent her early years travelling with her parents, learning Pitjantjatjara culture, stories and language on Country. She later attended school in the community, where she learned English as her second language.

Glenys began weaving in 2011, creating her first basket and a dog sculpture. Since then, she has continued to refine her practice, favouring bright raffia and native grasses to bring her pieces to life.

About the supplier: 

Tjanpi Desert Weavers are a social enterprise of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council working with women in the remote Central and Western deserts (WA, SA, NT) who earn an income from contemporary fibre art. Read more

Product details: 

Dimensions:   L 590 x W 230 x H 180 mm

Material:  Tjanpi (grass) acrylic wool, raffia

Made in the Central and Western deserts (WA, SA, NT)