Yamalaitji ngurikawi wurri

Yamalaitji ngurikawi wurri (First blossom acacia seed), 2024
Flinders Health and Medical Research Building

Yvonne Koolmatrie is a celebrated Ngarrindjeri fibre artist. Born in Wudinna, a small town on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, she grew up in the state’s Coorong wetlands and Riverland districts. Koolmatrie’s career as a master weaver began in 1982 after attending a workshop led by the late Dorothy Kartinyeri, thought to be one of few remaining practitioners of the traditional coiled bundle weaving technique.  Drawing from subsequent research of the South Australian Museum’s Ngarrindjeri woven objects collection, the artist not only revitalised this craft but also innovated her own distinctive methods.

In creating this work commissioned for the Health and Medical Research Building, Koolmatrie partnered with Adelaide-based artist and designer, Karl Meyer.  Together, they conceptualized and developed the artwork, with Meyer bringing his technological expertise to engineer its structure, including the use of synthetic materials that emulate the appearance and texture of the spiny-headed sedge rushes (Lepidosperma canescens) characteristic of Koolmatrie’s practice.

Entitled Yamalaitji ngurikawi wurri (First blossom acacia seed), the artwork seamlessly fuses traditional Ngarrindjeri weaving techniques with contemporary artistic expression, offering a reflection on the rich medicinal traditions of First Nations peoples.   Inspired by the organic forms of the acacia plant – utilised for generations to treat headaches, colds and fevers, skin disorders and other ailments – the artwork not only honours the past but also invites contemplation on the invaluable contributions of First Nations knowledges to our collective understanding of health and healing today.

The title of the work is pronounced \ yum-al-ait-chee \ ng-oor-ik-arwee \ wooree. Hear the pronunciation here.

Artists & Collaborators:
Aunty Yvonne Koolmatrie
Karl Meyer (collaborating artist)

Photography: Sam Roberts