Amanda Westley is part of the Ngarrindjeri clan in South Australia. In this interview, she talks about her latest exhibition at Japingka. Amanda reflects on the experience of joining an endangered language program and her new interest in weaving. Her busy life juggling a young family plus her language group and community involvement have become even busier now with the growing demand for her art and design.

The Artist

How do you introduce yourself to new people?

Straight away I say I'm an artist. They ask what kind of art I do. I say that I'm an Aboriginal artist. I do get a very confused reaction sometimes because my skin isn't that dark. You just see it in their face. "Oh, really? How does that work?" I tell them, "Well my family is one of the oldest Aboriginal families on the south coast."

Busy Times & Balance

Has your life changed very much since that last exhibition at Japingka one year ago?

Yes, it has. I'm crazy busy with projects that involve other people. Just when I think I get one project out of the way, I've got someone else contacting me asking for collaboration or a charity event. I'm doing more in the community. I've been recognised a lot more in the community as an artist.

It's awesome but it comes with a cost. I've got two young kids and I'm working as an artist. Everyone's like, "Oh, you must be doing really well now," because my face is being seen all over the place and my art's being seen all over the place. I love it but it's a lot of hard work as well.

The kids are important and I try to be completely involved with their life. I want to be really involved with their school. The priority for me this year is just trying to find that balance between all the competing parts of my life.

There are some larger paintings in this show. How did you like working on the bigger canvases?

I love working on bigger pieces because I think I can achieve a better effect when the art is on a larger scale. I have to work on a few of them at a time because I just need the variety. I need a few of them on the go at once so I can change it up a bit when I need to.

Endangered Language Program

I understand you are involved with some language classes, what's that been like for you?

I think it's huge. I'm doing my Certificate 3 in Endangered Aboriginal Language. The main focus is our language Ngarrindjeri, and we're trying to revive it because it's endangered. Anyone can do the classes but to actually get the Certificate, you have to be Nunga. There's quite a few of us which is good, and we're not just all locals. We've got the Murray Bridge and Port Adelaide Nungas doing it too. There's a lot of us doing it which is awesome.

This course rolls over into Certificate 4 where I will then learn to be able to teach it. I've nearly finished. By June, I should be finished Cert 3 and then I'll start another 18 months of Cert 4.

The Weaving Project

So tell us about the weaving project. What is it and where is it?

I have always wanted to do weaving but it's like a dying art. Not many people can still do it or teach it. I'll be travelling just over two hours to go to work with the weavers, I taught myself the basics and I'm still learning more techniques. Weaving is something to add with my art, if that makes sense.

Hopefully the plan is to introduce weaving to the community here. Maybe I'll do some future weaving workshops and help keep that art form alive.

How do you feel when you're weaving?

Oh it's addictive. I love it. It's so calming, just like painting. Dotting as well. It's like a therapeutic process and it's nice to do. You sit around and think about the women that would have done this every day. They couldn't just go to the shop and buy things, they would have had to work to make it. I just use the raffia but to get the rushes as they did is a long process. You have to find them and then soak them and dry them out. It's a five week process. Then to weave something takes ages in itself. It's nice to think about the work that goes into these things when you're weaving.

Excited For The Future

How did you feel about the direction that your art's going?

Super excited. I think there are so many doors opening up. My art has gone on to textiles and I just came out with some eyewear. All my art somehow gives back, so it's always involved with a charity whether it's local or a charity in another place. That's awesome. Next year I'll be working towards opening my own little space locally. I'd like to have a studio that I work from and people can come look at my art. I can do weaving there. That's the goal.