The Ludlows, Tarrago, Numina Bar Jacket Project
03 July 2023
As Australia enters NAIDOC Week 2023, the ABA is delighted to support the Ludlows, Tarrago, Numina Bar Jacket Project.
Avelina Tarragó, a proud Wangkamahdla woman from central-west Queensland and member of the Bar Association of Queensland, wanted “to be shrouded in culture during formal legal ceremony and to include Culture and Cultural
acknowledgement in formal legal settings”.
Ludlows Legal Regalia Brisbane manager Pia Bardine, an active supporter of First Nations culture, was keen to explore the possibility of this concept – the first of its kind worldwide in formal Legal Regalia. Together Avelina and Pia sought to produce custom fabric for use as lining in formal Court Uniform.
The Artist
Louise Numina Napananka is one of the celebrated Numina sisters, whose bold, confident, and colourful paintings are enjoyed in homes throughout Australia and all over the world. Her sisters are Sharon, Selina, Caroline, Jacinta and Lanita – and each highly regarded Aboriginal Artists in their own right.
Louise, her sisters and two brothers, are the children of Barbara Pananka Price and the late Douglas Petyarre, and it was two of Douglas’ sisters – the internationally-renowned Aboriginal Artists Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre – who taught their nieces to paint the Bush Medicine Leaf ceremony (Aunty Gloria) and Thorny Lizard Dreaming (Aunty Kathleen).
The Numina Sisters are also the great nieces of Emily Kngwarreye and Kudditji Kngwarreye, who along with Minnie Pwerle and Ada Bird Petyarre, are the most internationally acclaimed artists of the Aboriginal Art Movement of the Utopia Aboriginal Lands of the Eastern Desert that emerged in the 1970s.
Louise’s paintings have been widely exhibited throughout Australia, and in August 2017, couture designer Pia du Pradal launched a range of ‘resort wear’ featuring Louise’s Bush Medicine Leaf design at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Brisbane.
She has also enjoyed ‘going viral’ on social media – registering literally millions of views of the hypnotic videos of her creating her stunning ‘Bush Medicine Leaves’ paintings. While Louise makes the painting of the bush medicine leaves look effortless, it is her talent, confidence and joy in bringing the story to life that inspires her to “keep our culture strong”.
The Art
The “Water Soakage” motif was selected for its inherent significance in Aboriginal and First Nations Culture, as well as the personal significance to Avelina. Water is one of the necessary conditions for all forms of life, it is important to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike for environmental, economic and cultural purposes.
In terms of Aboriginal culture “Water is essential to Aboriginal culture and lore both in life and spiritual practice, cannot be separated from other elements and exists in all parts of life and culture , water is a shared essential resource for life , there is a shared essential need for access . Water is a community resource and cannot be just for one person or individual”.
Prints and original paintings are available to purchase via Ludlows Brisbane and Raintreeart.
The Fundraising Strategy
Ludlows intends to raise funds to assist First Nations legal practitioners in Australia with the cost required when coming to the Bar, including Robes and Legal Regalia in general.
$165 from each sale of the First Nations Lining ($200 per Jacket/Vest) will be distributed from Ludlows quarterly to three existing trusts supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands Barristers, namely the Indigenous Barristers’ Trust (Vic), the Indigenous Barristers’ Trust – The Mum Shirl Fund (NSW) and the Mullenjaiwakka Trust (Qld).
A portion of the sales from the artwork prints and paintings will be donated to this project.