Woven Animal Sculpture – Imiyari (Yilpi) Frank

Handwoven bird sculpture by Imiyari (Yilpi) Frank.

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: 

Imiyari was born in Ernabella in 1954. She is an accomplished batik artist, tjanpi weaver an expert beanie (mukata) maker and painter.

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: 400 x 150 x 440 mm

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