NGV Curator Shonae Hobson leads a conversation with Yuwaalaraay woman Julie Shaw, Founder and Creative Director of Maara Collective, and the designer behind the NGV’s inaugural Indigenous Fashion Commission created in collaboration with master Yolngu weavers from Bula’Bula Arts.
Host
Shonae Hobson is a Southern Kaantju and Umpila woman from Coen, Cape York Peninsula. She currently works as Curator of First Nations Art at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Hobson was the inaugural First Nations Curator at Bendigo Art Gallery where she curated Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion (2020-21), Australia’s first major survey of contemporary Indigenous Australian fashion to be undertaken both nationally and internationally. Hobson completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Anthropology and Art History from the University of Melbourne. Her curatorial practice is based on a collaborative approach to working with communities and artists to foster and build capacity for social and economic independence. Hobson is also a member of the Indigenous Fashion Projects Advisory Board.
Speaker
Julie Shaw is a proud Yuwaalaraay woman from Lightning Ridge in northern NSW, now living and working in Sydney. A graduate of the University of Technology’s Fashion & Textiles degree, she is an award-winning designer who has worked across the fashion industries of Sydney, Melbourne and London.
Julie is the Founder and Creative Director of premium Australian fashion line Maara Collective, where she works in creative collaboration with Indigenous artists and creatives to present contemporary fashion collections that tell stories of Country and culture.Julie was the recipient of the NGV’s inaugural Indigenous Fashion Commission, where she created a bespoke dress inspired by the golden age of couture; made entirely from pandanus plant materials and deadstock fabrics. Hand crafted in collaboration with a number of Australian creatives including Yolngu master weavers from Bula’bula Art Centre in Arnhem Land, the dress is now held in the NGV Collection and currently on display at NGV International.
Presented as part of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Fashion Culture Program.
