A solo exhibition exploring kangaroo and possum skin cloak making by Yorta Yorta, Mutti Mutti, Boon Wurrung artist Lee Darroch. This exhibition explores Lee’s experience of travelling for the past 17 years as a possum skin cloak teacher across the Songlines of South Eastern Australia. The installation includes possum and kangaroo skin cloaks and sculptures made from local materials and found objects from the lakes and ocean where Lee lives, including shark eggs, shells, driftwood, bull kelp, reeds and ochre.
Exhibition opening:
Saturday 8 October 2-4pm
Level 1, Yarra Building, Federation Square, Melbourne
The opening will include performances by an Aboriginal dancegroup , along with music by Indigenous singer/songwriter, musician and recording engineer James Henry.
The exhibition is the result of a year-long residency Lee has undertaken with the Koorie Heritage Trust through Regional Arts Australia Indigenous Institutional Fellowship, where she has researched and documented local collections of possum skin and kangaroo skin cloaks.
Lee Darroch is a high profile community arts worker and artist. She currently works for Banmirra Arts, a group of committed Aboriginal artists, healers, teachers and executives united in the vision of ensuring their vibrant culture and identity continues to flourish. Lee works across South Eastern Australia in this role of cultural remembering, reclamation, regeneration and revitalisation. Exhibiting at the Koorie Heritage Trust since 1994, Lee has a long history with the organisation and several works in our collection.
Funding for this project has been provided by the City of Melbourne and Regional Arts Australia on behalf of the Australian Government.