Limited Edition #20/100

91 x 152cm

Hand dyed, chain stitched wool finished with a heavy cotton backing and sleeve for hanging if so desired. This rug is born of a cross cultural collaboration between Aboriginal artists and traditional Kashmiri weavers through Better World Arts. Purchase of this rug directly benefits the artists and and their communities, control and ownership of intellectual property are also maintained.

Each rug is a completely handmade piece. This project brings many direct benefits to the artists’ and their families. Control and ownership of intellectual property are maintained by the artists and the artisans. The artists are the custodians of their stories and country, the Kashmiris are the cultural owners of this particular handicraft. It is not possible to find this handicraft outside of the Kashmir valley. Purchase of these rugs guarantees a direct return to the Aboriginal artist as well as supporting traditional work in the remote regions of the Kashmir valley. Text courtesy of Better World Arts.

Kurun Warun is a Gunditjmara man who is also a descendant of Truganini, the sadly fast last Indigenous Tasmanian queen.

The original work for this design speaks of the desert rain - it shows thunderstorms coming in at the top right hand corner. Kurun has painted the rain coming through the rocks in the opposite corner. The central line references lightning coming through, with the campsite in the very centre. At the bottom of the painting, we find two waterholes filling with rainwater.

Kurun Warun was born in Australian in 1966 and is a member of the Gunditjmara people. Kurun Warun, whose name means ‘Hissing Swan’ lives in the Noosa hinterland in South East Queensland. He is best known for his exceptional dot art and talent as a didgeridoo musician. He expresses his culture through art and music and has won international recognition in these fields. Starting at just eight years old, he has become a sort after artist.

Kurun’s dot paintings have traditional meanings which are not always immediately discernable, but within the colours, lines and space, we are led through and underlying story. He also finds expression through traditional dance and music. Being an accomplished didgeridoo musician, Kurun has performed around the world in places as far flung as Italy and Korea. He played a role in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games as a traditional artist, has appeared on NBC in the United States and before Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton and US President Bill Clinton.