Installation art to weave culture and community in Kingston

A sculptural art installation celebrating connection to Country led by Boandik artists Sonya, Sarah, and Suzy Smith is set to be temporarily installed at Kingston SE.

Kingston Weaving is a large-scale community art project and honours First Nations culture by intertwining traditional weaving techniques, language, and knowledge.

The project explores the theme of water’s return to the area and presents the idea of animal totems, with each sculpture symbolising the intricate relationships between people, nature, and spirituality.

In a partnership with Stand Like Stone, OneFortyOne supported Open Space Contemporary Arts to launch the initiative, with funds used for workshops, idea development, and the design process.

OSCA Artistic Director and Co-CEO Paul Gazzola highlighted the importance of recognising First Nations communities.

“It’s not possible to make projects in Australia without connecting to First Nations peoples,” Paul said.

“It’s about being inclusive and it’s about being open.”

Kingston as a first home

Paul initially pitched the project to be based at the artists’ current home of Murray Bridge.

However, artist Sonya Smith said when Kingston SE was suggested as a potential location, the group’s excitement grew.

“We jumped at the opportunity,” Sonya said.

“Long-term, being able to come down and run the workshops in community – if we didn’t have funding, there’s no way we would’ve been able to come down and do it.”

“That kickstarted the project, it’s what got us started into it.”

The sisters’ family connection to Country

For the Smith sisters, Kingston holds personal significance, as their family has roots in the region with ties to Sandy’s Hut, a nearby Aboriginal reserve.

Traditionally, weaving was used to make baskets for carrying and collecting food, carrying babies, and eel traps and fishing nets.

The installation will feature large-scale weavings of three significant animals: the swan, emu, and red-tailed black cockatoo. The emu will stand with baby emus that visitors can stand underneath, a swan with a nest big enough to sit in for pictures, and a red-tailed black cockatoo flying overhead.

“The water brought back some of the animals again; the first one was a swan,” Sonya said.

“The emu has a personal connection for us because our mum was a very fast runner. She actually pulled a feather from an emu along the Coorong!”

“We have our dreamtime story about the emus, so we had to include them.”

“We’re also going for the red-tailed black cockatoo, because that’s one of the South East mobs’ totems, and it’s an endangered species.”

“This project represents our country, our connection to Country, but also the personal connection,” Sonya said.

Honouring Elders through documenting knowledge

“A lot of our elders back in the day weren’t allowed to speak their language or practice their cultural traditions, so a lot has been lost.”

“We’re thankful for the opportunity to document this knowledge before our elders depart, ensuring it is passed down through generations.”

Suzy and Sonya also strive to honor their mother by keeping up their practice, who always encouraged them to “keep connected to your family and culture” before her passing in 2017.

Sharing the connection

The trio also teach weaving and storytelling in schools and community workshops, which they said they have loved being able to share.

“It’s just awesome working with the community, because a lot of people don’t work with Aboriginal people, and it just shows them that we’re not all of the negative stuff that they might think of,” Sonya said.

“Doing this art project while keeping it connected with culture helps us personally stay connected to our land, our culture, and spirituality—passing it down to our children and grandchildren,” Suzy said.

“Not only are we teaching them what we know, they’re teaching us just as much,” Sarah added.

The artists incorporate local materials, such as shells from Kingston Beach and pine needles from Mount Gambier, into their weaved creations.

“When we’re using the raffia, I always go and collect the dead pine needles from around the lake because I like to incorporate things from the South East in with it,” Suzy said.

The installation

The installation will eventually be displayed in Kingston, with its final home set for Sandy’s Hut, where families can come together to share stories and connect with their heritage.

“We would just like to say a huge thank you to OneFortyOne for the funding, and giving us this opportunity and helping to make this possible,” Sonya said.

“It wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have their support.”

“It’s our first big project; we were challenged but proud and happy that it’s happening.”