Sharing a love of country, tradition and creating, Canberra’s Jessika Spencer, fibre artist and proud Wiradjuri woman, heads to the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA)on 7-8 August.

The annual competition shines a spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers and helps to spread the word about the incredible work they are doing. Held in Darwin, Larrakia country, finalists from across the nation come together to celebrate their works.

Receiving a record number of entrants, 36 finalists have been chosen from across seven different categories of fashion design styles to be judged by a panel of experts. This year the experts are made up of Yatu Widders-Hunt, founder of #ausindigenousfashion on social media and board member of the Australian Fashion Council; Elaine George, mentor, educator, model and first indigenous Vogue Covergirl (1993); Lisa Waup, First Nations artist and curator; and Nimmi Premaratne, Design Manager for Womenswear at Country Road.

The NIFA competition brings different areas of fashion and adornment-making into the light, says Jessika. Although she has been admiring the awards for a few years, this was the first time she has submitted a piece of her own.

“You get mob all over creating these beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces and every year, it just blows me away. This year, I was finally brave enough to submit a piece and I got a bit teary when they told me I was a finalist,” she says.

Creating from country and with strong connections to those that came before her, Jessika entered the Traditional Adornment category.   

“I’ve always created woven pieces either on country or utilising natural resources from country, so this category focuses on that. Creating pieces that are either inspired by ancestral ties or our old people’s ways of making pieces is a nod to the old ways.”

On the Murrumbidgee River in the sand hills of Narrandera is where Jessika first learned her craft from her elders.

“We’ve got these beautiful, healthy reeds that grow right up and down it. I spent the majority of my life with my nan and my sisters collecting and gathering and processing these pieces. That’s traditional weaving, it just slides in naturally with the traditional adornment award.”

Carrying a love of tradition with her the passion for weaving has never floundered, she carefully eco-dyes the reeds with natural elements like raffia and barks. For her submission, she created a traditional piece worn by her ancestors and First Nation women across Southeast Australia.

“It’s like a large woven mat but the mat was worn on a woman’s back, like a large turtle shell. We’ve got a large piece of cordage rope that’s tied around the waist to hold it on,” Jessika says.

From a beautiful home landscape, Jessika wanted to capture the hues of pink and peach she often saw within the striking creation. Heavily focusing on traditional ways and replication items of the past in her practice, Jessika was inspired by images of women wearing functional pieces.

“These beautiful photos have been documented throughout the history of the women across this area wearing them. Sometimes they’ve got kids on the mat that’s been tied around their waist, the kids are sitting up the top around their shoulder blades, and they’ve also got reeds and things in there.”

The only ACT representative across the seven categories, Jessika is up against five other designers to win in the Traditional Adornments category. The winner will be awarded a cultural exchange opportunity of their design and choice to the value of $3,000.

“What I am hoping for, if I am lucky enough to win, is that I get a mentoring session with a deadly blackfella in this category,” smiles Jessika.

As well as all the knowledge there is to be gained from a mentorship, the win would also help Jessika get her name out there. Shy in nature, Jessika says promoting herself has never been her strong point and a win would help encourage her growth and share her work with an audience she hasn’t yet reached.

“It would mean everything. I haven’t even considered that [winning]. I don’t know how I would process that; I would have to go and speak to my nan and process it with her.”

Tradition and ancestral ties are always woven into Jessika’s work. She says First Nation people have a responsibility to keep these practices going, particularly for the younger generations.

“So much has been taken during colonisation and we like to say things are sleeping, we never fully lose them, they’re just sleeping and then we wake them up again,” she says. “If we don’t continue it and share it, we’re just going to repeat things from the past, we’re going to lose things. We need to make sure that they’re present and we’re sharing and instilling it.”

For other First Nation artists who might be feeling hesitant about sharing their works, Jessika’s advice is to take the plunge and dive right in, as long as you are comfortable.

“Be brave and just do it, don’t follow my lead of being shy and hesitant to share work, just be brave and just do it. You will feel proud of yourself afterwards.”

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