Untitled 1, 2008
Launceston
white flag iris (Diplarrena moraea),
bull kelp (Durvillaea potatorum)
‘Working with the traditional materials and in the traditional ways has been important for me in reconnecting with the Aboriginal heritage and culture. Sitting with other women in the Community, and sharing stories while we weave, much in the same way as it has been for thousands of generations is a very grounding experience.’
Vicki West (born 1960) is a Launceston based artist. Utilising a variety of mediums to create contemporary art works Vicki’s work ranges from small individual forms to large scale, often political, installations. Vicki studied textiles at the University of Tasmania, Launceston graduating with first class Honours BFA in 2001 and MFA in 2008. Vicki has exhibited extensively throughout Australia over the past decade and is represented in numerous public collections.
Vicki grew up with her maternal (non-Aboriginal) grandmother Constance Milbourne who was a renowned craftswomen, learning many skills including weaving and basketry from an early age. She was first introduced to the tradition of Tasmanian Aboriginal basket weaving through a cultural workshop in the early 1990s.
A strong advocate for sharing of traditional skills and knowledge within the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, Vicki has been an active participant in a broad range of cultural projects, both in the Aboriginal community and more broadly over the past ten years—including her work as a tutor, mentor and artist within the tayenebe project.
Water carrier, 2008
Launceston
bull kelp (Durvillaea potatorum),
red-hot poker (Kniphofia sp.), tea tree
(Melaleuca sp.)
vestra, 2006–08
Launceston
bull kelp (Durvillaea potatorum), netting twine, found objects
Possum basket, 2008
larapuna (Eddystone Point), Launceston
white flag iris (Diplarrena moraea),
possum skin
vestra, 2006–08
Launceston
kelp (Durvillaea potatorum), netting twine, found objects
