Portrait feature for The Design Files, featuring artist Delvene Cockatoo Collins, at home on Minjerribah, Quandamooka Country, (North Stradbroke Island) Queensland, Australia.
Shot on location on the island, documenting Delvene gathering tawalpin – beach hibiscis, from the local beach and preparing the fibre at home to use in her art practice.
Portrait and documentary photographic work.
Above left: Delvene walks along the beach collecting all sorts of objects which take her eye; small shells, sea glass and anything interesting which has washed ashore.
Above left: A nice straight piece of Tawalpin or beach hibiscus. Delvene will strip this of its fibre and use the fibre in her artwork / Above right: Delvene sitting under one of her favourite trees, the pandanus.
Above left: In amongst the Tawalpin, looking for a nice straight piece to work with / Above right: Delvene strips off the fibres of the single branch of Tawalpin, and will eventually use it to weave once she has washed it and dried it.
Above left: The stripped Talwalpin is then washed in the salt water of the ocean to remove some of the sticky sap / Above right: It’s amazing how much can come off a single branch.
Above: Heading back home to work with the fibres.
Above: Delvene’s beautiful home – which used to be one of the staff quarters of a benevolent asylum on the Island.
Above left: Delvene at home with her family dog Ziggy soaking the fibres she collected to use as materials in her artwork / Above right: Delvene at home.
Above left: Washing the fibres in fresh water, to wash off the rest of the sap / Above right: Soaking Tawalpin fibres. This knowledge of using the fibres to weave has come from her mother.
Above left: The Tawalpin fibres drying in the sun / Above right: Threading fibres to create her artwork.
Above left: An artwork made with ochre and Tawalpin. Above right: One of Delvene woven pieces.
