Aboriginal Art order Fabric - Pandanus Design - Chris Bag

Our most popular bag style: unisex, practical, hard wearing and comfortable to carry.
The flap is secured by a magnetic stud and it covers three pockets to hold a phone, pens and coins, secured by velcro.
There is an internal zip pocket and an external zippered pocket on the reverse side of the bag.
Adjustable shoulder strap that is built into the body of the bag so very strong. Fittings are brass and durable.
Dimensions: 210 x 270 x 60 (gusset) mm (8.5 x 10.5 x 2.5 inches)
Fabric: Cotton
This gorgeous bag features a print from Merrepen Arts.
Note: The photos are color accurate.

The fabric is designed by Aboriginal people, printed by Publisher Textiles in Sydney and then beautifully crafted by our fair trade partners, in Cambodia.
The artists are paid a royalty fee for every metre printed.

Please note that each bag is unique and the placement of the fabric design is different and wonderful on each item.

Fabric Designer
Kieren Karritpul

Design:
Pandanus (Yerrgi)

This design was order inspired by watching the women collect and dye yerrgi (pandanus) to weave baskets and mats - a technique that has been practiced since ancient times. Pandanus is a 100% natural fibre made from the Pandanus spiralis palm that grows in wetland areas in the 'Top End' of the Northern Territory. Stripping the leaves that have sharp barbs is laborious, highly skilled work and the fibres are then strung in bunches and hung to dry. This design features the bundles of Pandanus. Often after drying the Pandanus is dyed in range of vivid colors made with natural dyes made from local plants before weaving.
With the help of textile artist Bobbie Ruben the artists produce beautiful screen printed fabric designs that reflect the rich and abundant natural environment of the local rivers and wet lands.


Merrepen Arts - Aboriginal owned art centre
Merrepen Arts, located at Nauiyu Community Daly River (NT) about 220 km south west of Darwin, is a well established arts centre with around 20 artists working in a variety of traditional and contemporary mediums painting regularly in a custom designed art centre. Merrepen artists are renowned for their colourful depictions of local flora and fauna in prints, paintings, fabrics and objects.
A number of the most established artists from the region are now recognised on a national level. The number of working artists rises to approximatley 80 during the annual Merrepen Arts and Sports Festival.

The Merrepen Arts Centre opened in 1986 and the artists are famous for their etchings and printmaking but also produce a number of artifacts in addition to paintings, using a multitude of materials and techniques in their creative expression. Using zinc plates, or lino plates, coloured ink and a press machine they produce etchings and prints, batik techniques using wax and silk painting to make t-shirts, scarves and sarongs, paper-mâché techniques to make bowls and animal figures, screen printing for tea-towels and other kind of fabric and weaving of Merrepen and Pandanus leaves to make dilly bags, fishnets, baskets and sun mats.