The Art of: Remembering #

Felicity Chapman’s Deadly Weavers; revitalising the treasured tradition of cultural weaving #

Felicity Chapman is a proud Aboriginal woman born on Wiradjuri country living on Ngaro country. She is the founder and force behind Deadly Weavers, an initiative devoted to re-vitalising and preserving ancient cultural knowledge, shining a light on the treasured tradition of cultural weaving. The great-grandaugher of stolen generations, Felicity is committed to learning, honouring and preserving the ancient Aboriginal culture. With little more than backyard plants, Felicity is helping Indigenous communities revitalise ancient weaving practices. 

Deadly Weavers was founded in 2019 after seeing the need for cultural learning within Indigenous communities, and Felicity now uses leaves, vine and fruit to weave those new connections with mob. "Cultural weaving provides mob with a powerful way of connecting with and reactivating cellular memories buried deep within DNA and builds a strong sense of identity. Through celebrating and honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander weavers and their cultural weaving practice, connections are made with culture and Country and strong, healthy communities are created." 

As well as weaving, Felicity deepens her creative relationship with nature through eco-dying, a process of drawing out the natural pigments from plants, fruits, bark and berries to make intricate patterns on silks, cotton and other fabrics. Felicity’s stunning eco-dyed textiles were recently featured at CIAF 2024 Fashion Performance. Her textiles work transcends the conventional boundaries of art - it's about connection, healing, and cultural expression and affirms why Felicity wouldn’t claim herself to be an ‘artist’. "I see myself as being creative." For her, the label of 'artist' has always been tied to elitism, a notion that one must be extraordinarily skilled to claim the title. Instead, Felicity finds joy and purpose in "playing, experimenting, and connecting" through her work, challenging the western idea that art is only for the talented. 

Felicity explained that for her people, "creative expression is such an important part of life, it’s a traditional way of passing on knowledge and exploring our relationship with country.” She emphasised that this process-driven approach is not about the final product but about the journey and the connections made along the way.

Creativity, as Felicity described, is not something we do; it’s something we are. "It’s such an essential part of our well-being," she said, "mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally" - it can be an incredibly healing way of life. Remarkably, in 2017, Felicity survived something not many people do when she suffered a brain aneurysm bleed.  Since that day, her innate creative practices have been an integral part of her rehabilitation and healing. “Weaving can be a beautiful meditation” and has proven to be a deeply healing practice as she’s learnt to recalibrate her life with an acquired brain injury disability. 

Felicity highlighted the power of creative expression as a means of communication, especially when words fail. "Sometimes it allows you to have the really challenging conversations without words," she explained. She recounted a powerful example of this from a few years ago when she wove the Aboriginal flag, deliberately pulling parts of it away, two halves attached with padlocks and handcuffs. This piece was a response to the fact that the copyright of the Aboriginal flag was owned by a non-Indigenous company, which meant that many Indigenous people were being prevented from using their own symbol. Through this work, Felicity made a poignant statement about identity, ownership, and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights.

A timely reminder to us all, that creativity is not merely about producing something aesthetically pleasing; it’s about embodying our sacred rage, expressing our experiences, witnessing each others stories, making claim to our identities, and navigating the complexities of our world. As Felicity said, "everybody has the right to be creative, and it’s crucial that we find that way to express ourselves.” Creativity is not just for the elite - it’s a birthright that belongs to all of us, offering a path to healing, connection, and a deeper understanding of our shared humanity.

Learn more about Deadly Weavers: https://www.deadlyweavers.com.au

View Felicity Chapman’s runway at CIAF or watch more of her story here:   #

Country to Couture #

Proudly supported by the Northern Territory Government via Northern Territory Major Events Company, and Country Road, Country to Couture has come to be a staple on the Australian Fashion calendar, drawing crowds from across the nation and the world to celebrate First Nations designers and artists.

Next year, 2025, marks the historic 10 year milestone for Country to Couture. Launched in 2016 by Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation in response to the growing textile design movement in remote community Art Centres, the vibrant runway has gone from strength to strength. Each year the event grows, and so too does the melting pot of talent, launching the careers of First Nations designers, artists, creatives and models alike!  

Applications are now open for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, designers and collaborators to have their collections be part of the 10th Country to Couture showcase on Larrakia Country on August 5, 2025.