Learn how to make your own Boorongur or ‘totem’ in this weaving workshop with Nyoongar artist Sharyn Egan.

In Nyoongar language, Boorongur refers to a natural object, plant or animal that is inherited by members of a clan or family as their spiritual emblem. In this workshop, Sharyn invites participants to consider a plant or animal that is important to them and create a raffia, wool and wire sculpture in response. The program offers a shared space for community to engage with Nyoongar cultural knowledges and learn about Sharyn’s material practice.

Sharyn Egan is a painter, weaver and sculptor. As a member of the Stolen Generation, much of her artwork is a commentary on her life as a Nyoongar woman and the deep sense of loss and displacement experienced by Aboriginal people. Sharyn works across a range of media including painting, sculpture, woven forms and site-specific installations, often choosing materials such as ochres, resins and grasses that connect to land. Her work explores personal and cultural relationships to Country, specifically her home on Nyoongar Boodja.