Estudio Campana - Yarrenyty Arltere Artists - Elliat Rich / BRAZIL / AUSTRALIA / FRANCE

Humberto Campana designer
Brazil born 1953
Fernando Campana designer
Brazil born 1961
Trudy Inkamala
Western Arrernte/Luritja born 1940
Roxanne Petrick
Eastern Arrernte/Alyawarr born 1986
Rosabella Ryder
Arrernte born 1975
Rhonda Sharpe
Luritja born 1977
Maurice Petrick
Eastern Arrernte/Alyawarr born 1973
Marlene Rubuntja
Western Arrernte born 1961
Dulcie Sharpe
Luritja/Arrernte born 1957
Dulcie Raggett
Luritja born 1970
Cornelius Ebatarinja
Western Arrernte/Arrernte born 1982
Sonya Petrick
Eastern Arrernte/Alyawarr born 1982
Louise Robertson
Warlpiri born 1984
Janella Ebatarinja
Western Arrernte born 1983
Katherine Ryder
Eastern Arrernte born 1973
Elliat Rich production designer
France born 1978, arrived Australia 1980
James B. Young manufacturer
Sydney born 1979
Elbowrkshp, Alice Springs manufacturer
Australia est. 2013
Centre for Appropriate Technology, Alice Springs manufacturer
Australia est. 1980

Victoria Amazonica, 2017, was created by Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana in collaboration with Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, designers Elliat Rich and James Young and the Centre for Appropriate Technology – all based in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Based initially on a sketch Humberto Campana made in Alice Springs of a giant South American lily, this exuberant, large-scale soft domed structure features intricate embroidery by the Yarrenyty Arltere Artists that tells stories of rain, rivers and water.

In the words of the Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, ‘It’s a new way to work, big and flat. We can make a whole story over the surface. When we work we keep thinking of water about the desert and the water here. We keep thinking about how the desert gets so thirsty for water, it’s just calling out for the rain to come and fill it up. Then it rains, and all the life that comes, you can see the waterholes. You can see bush tucker and bush medicine, flowers of all colours, grasses. It is so beautiful. Day and night. We love this desert. Everything that kept coming into our heads, well we just kept on sewing it onto these panels. Even a windmill’.

BIO

Evoking the colour and creative chaos of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Campana brothers create exuberant yet thoughtful design work that celebrates the triumph of simple solutions in a complex world. Since 1983 they have achieved recognition as one of the world’s most progressive and successful design studios. Their work captures the essence of transformation and reinvention, imbuing commonplace and ordinary materials with preciousness. Yarrenyty Arltere Artists is a dynamic art centre and vibrant community hub located in the Larapinta Valley Town Camp, Alice Springs. It plays an important role in rebuilding strength and culture in the community and creating opportunities for the Arrernte and Luritja people who live and work there daily with their families.

A collaboration between Estudio Campana, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, and Elliat Rich.
Travel support from the Elizabeth Summons Grant in Memory of Nicholas Draffin.
Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria
Proposed acquisition