God daughter, 2009
Hobart
bull kelp (Durvillaea potatorum),
river reed (Schoenoplectus pungens),
tea tree (Melaleuca sp.)
160x200x105 mm

‘I have always been interested and involved from an early age in my culture and heritage, but it was not until the end of high school that I became more active in my Community and cultural practices. I watched both my mother Verna Nichols and Aunty Lennah making baskets and doing art and crafts and I would help them.’

Tanya Langdon, born in Hobart in 1969, comes from a strong and very close Tasmanian Aboriginal family who are also descended from the Bunurong people of Victoria.

After leaving college Tanya worked in a range of positions, from handling food in a delicatessen to working in the Indigenous Cultures department at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Tanya has served the Aboriginal community in various roles and is currently working for the Palawa Aboriginal Corporation.

Tanya has participated in the Tasmanian Aboriginal Speakers Program and worked with many schools in Tasmania demonstrating her skills with shell work and basketry and telling her story. She has also instilled confidence and pride in her three children, who have attended Aboriginal community events and the Aboriginal creche since babyhood, ensuring they understand and appreciate their Aboriginality. Tanya is passing her skill onto her young daughter Nayda and they spend quality time together making things.