Tjanpi Desert Weavers' purpose is to contribute to improving the lives of NPY women and their families by supporting cultural activity and employment through the creation of fibre art.
Tjanpi Desert Weavers is a not-for-profit Indigenous social enterprise of Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council. Out of a need for meaningful and appropriate employment, NPY members created Tjanpi to enable women on the lands to earn a regular income from selling their fibre art. Tjanpi (meaning ‘grass’) supports the production and marketing of baskets, sculptures and seed jewellery made by over 400 artists from 28 remote communities across 3 states, WA, NT and SA. Aboriginal women come together on country,collect grass, sculpt and weave, sing and dance and keep culture strong whilst creating beautiful, intricate, whimsical fibre art.
Made from a combination of native desert grasses, seeds and feathers, commercially bought raffia (sometimes dyed with native plants), string and wool, Tjanpi artworks are unique, innovative and constantly evolving. Building upon a long history of working with fibre to make objects for ceremonial and daily use women have spread weaving skills across communities and today Tjanpi is a celebrated and vital part of contemporary desert culture.
Tjanpi is represented in national and international public and private art collections, has an extensive exhibition programme and is featured in many publications including the soon to be launched Tjanpi Book. In 2005 Tjanpi weavers from Papulankutja (WA) won the prestigious Telstra NATSI Art Award with their now famous 'Toyota'.
