Nora Campbell – Rafia Basket Flowers #3

Description

Nora Campbell was born at Mount Dare Station, on the South Australian border. Her family later moved to Finke (Aputula), where her Father worked as a stockman. Nora recounts wonderful memories of those days, “travelling with family on camels back”. Nora moved to Titjikala in 1978, where she worked at Maryvale Station and was employed as a domestic helper, collecting water and wood for the homestead as well as tending to the goats and cattle.

Nora commenced painting at the Titjikala Art Centre in 1989.  Representations in Nora’s work include bush fruits, wild flowers, honey ants and witchetty grubs. Nora learnt the craft of “punu” (wood carving) from her mother, and makes detailed wooden artefacts and animals, intricately carved and decorated with linear burn marks. She also enjoys weaving baskets and sculptures (tjanpi) from locally gathered grasses and raffia, creating jewellery from seeds and nuts sourced and traded throughout central Australia, ceramics and batik.

She talks of gathering materials for her creations from the lands around Titjikala and demonstrates a deep connection and love of this region.