Artworks & Projects > Sunrise after sunrise, sunset after sunset

Sunrise after sunrise, sunset after sunset, is part of an ongoing series reflecting on basket making practices developed by West’s grandmothers for generations. Rather than weaving with plant fibres, West reinterprets this practice by using recycled and naturally dyed fabrics, stitching together representations of dilly bags in a patchwork installation of suspended banners. Sourcing readily available materials from thrift shops including organza, sequins, lycra, velvet and cotton, West naturally dyes some fabrics, imbuing them with the colour and scent of the earth. The natural dye process – the rhythm of walking, gathering, bundling, boiling and infusing materials with plant matter – has been significant throughout West’s practice and reflects connections to Country.

For West, textiles and fibre practice are a way of navigating disruptions to cultural ties and provide opportunities to renew relationships with her Yindjibarndi ancestors. West approaches artmaking as a form of cultural renewal, where materials and processes hold embodied knowledge: “I’m motivated to make these pieces because it is a way to make these baskets present in my life and for my family, including next generations of our family line. I want the children in my family to always know their ancestors made these baskets.”