Here and Now: Gold Coast Triennial 2024 Digital Gallery
Nina Dang
b.1965 Madurai India, lives Gold Coast QLD
Shades of Paradise, 2021
naturally dyed hand spun Australian merino wool, unbleached Indian cotton yarn
Image courtesy of the artist
Artist Statement
I am a tapestry weaver on the Gold Coast, reflecting my surroundings with traditional techniques and contemporary themes. I sustainably dye and spin local fibres into yarn and weave them into my creations. Natural dyes fascinate me for their magic when using unexpected ingredients. Each piece responds to the world around me, capturing moments of change and sustainability. Through my tapestries' textures and colours, I aim to connect viewers with the natural world and pressing issues of our time.
For Shades of Paradise, I used dyes from fallen leaves, flowers, vegetable and fruit peels, seeds, and garden pruning’s. All materials transitioned from my dyepot to the compost. I wove this tapestry on a loom made from fallen eucalyptus branches in a local park.
About the Artist
Nina Dang's father ran a cotton textile mill in a sleepy little town deep in southern India. Her grandmother taught her how to use fibre in art when she was eight. She studied textile design specialising in woven fabric in Mumbai.
After moving to Sydney 25 years ago, Nina now lives on the Gold Coast and is a woven textile artist. Working with locally sourced fibre, she often processes raw fleeces. Natural dyes are of a particular interest with their magical colours. Ranking first in textiles in 1987, she has exhibited in India, Canada, and Australia, including being a finalist in the 2021 Australian Fibre Arts Awards.
