A stunning possum skin cloak will feature in a four-week exhibition hosted by Narrandera Arts and Creative Network at the Narrandera Arts and Community Centre.

The exhibition will open tomorrow and will continue until May 29.

The cloak will be a centrepiece of Yorta Yorta artist Treahna Hamm’s new exhibition “For the Love of Art”.

Treahna has developed this exhibition after receiving the Joyce Spencer Textiles Fellowship in 2020, established by the Cad Factory, Western Riverina Arts and the Spencer family to remember the life of Narrandera artist Joyce Spencer (1928-2019).

The Fellowship supports a regional NSW textile artist to make and present new work.

“Joyce was an inspiration through her skill, creative integrity, and care of people,” said Sarah McEwan of the Cad Factory.

“Her knowledge was astounding, and I deeply miss Joyce as a mentor and friend. I know Joyce would be so proud of this exhibition and to be supporting such an outstanding artist like Treahna who has a nationally significant career.”

Treahna reflected on Joyce’s legacy and the Fellowship by noting that Joyce lived a life full of love, creativity and giving towards family and community.

“During the project I thought of the many parallels between Joyce’s life and those of my mother Mary. Both were born the same year, 1928, and passed in the same year, 2019.”

“We also had an adoption connection with my mother and father having their first child and then adopting three Aboriginal children in Victoria, one of which was me,” said Treahna.

“While undertaking this project it made me reflect deeply on how my beautiful mother selflessly encouraged me to explore my creativity and what a positive impact that has had on me throughout my life.

“I related to Joyce’s father also. Joyce’s dad built buses during his lifetime and my father built three Studebaker cars from the 1920s. One car took him ten years to restore! One of my favourite memories was hearing dad’s shed door open on the weekends. It was a large steel framed door, and it made a thunderous sound.”

Treahna is renowned across the country for making striking possum skin cloaks.

Treahna said of the centrepiece, “The cloak is the colours of the environment that Joyce drew inspiration from. Within the sand-coloured ochre there are small seeds of creativity to represent the impact Joyce’s teaching had on people. The colours and symbolism are connected to true spirit and culture which Joyce lived through art.

“Joyce’s hand is central in the possum skin cloak holding a material flower which links heart to experiences of a beautiful life lived. The gold flowers surrounding this area which hold many colours is highlighted as emotions, experiences, unbounded love and how art and life is the source of a meaningful and loving life.”

Narrandera Arts & Creative Network is supported by Narrandera Shire Council and the Narrandera Community (Bendigo) Bank to allow artists to exhibit in the Narrandera Art & Community Centre via its Wide Open 2022 Project.

“For the Love of Art”, will launch on Friday May 6 from 6pm. All welcome.

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 5 May 2022.