18. Bauble by CHOLENA DREW

Cholena Drew Hughes, raffia, cyanotype print, L 17cm, W 12.5cm, D 0.5cm.

Cholena Drew is of Koa descendant, she was born on Turrbal Country, grew up on Kabi Kabi/ Gubbi Gubbi Country and now lives on Jinibara Country.

Cholena is a good friend to the gallery and facilitated a Sun-Printing (Cyanotype) workshop at Aboriginal Art Co back in August. 

After many years of study at both Tafe and university, Cholena has a diverse art practise in many areas of Visual Arts. Using a large variety of materials and processes, her art shares her love for Country. Cholena wanders in the bush, listens, breathes in the air, her senses observe all the intimate details with a feeling of incalculable significance and importance with the connection to her environment. Her artwork offers the viewers a glimpse of the experience felt.

Cholena's baubles were inspired by her ongoing exploration in the creek where she lives and her interest in various processes of making. Using dug clay from the property where she lives to create a fish shape, weaving was added using a technique that was traditionally used to make nets to catch fish. The other piece was made using plant material found in the creek to create a double-sided cyanotype on fabric and weaving added around the outside to hold shape.