Unleash your creativity through the art of adornment in this hands-on workshop led by artist Lisa Hilli. Explore how plaiting, wrapping and embellishing wearable forms can become powerful acts of storytelling, identity and cultural expression.
In this dynamic workshop, students will explore the expressive power of adornment, a practice deeply rooted in cultural storytelling and personal identity. Guided by Lisa Hilli, students will engage with techniques such as plaiting, wrapping and embellishing, transforming simple materials into meaningful wearable artworks.
Students will examine selected portraits and artworks from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) collections, reflecting on how visual narratives express diverse Australian identities. Through hands-on making and personal reflection, students will be empowered to create wearable pieces that speak to their own stories, values and cultural connections.
This workshop champions creativity, inclusivity and innovation, encouraging students to respond to the theme of identity in bold and imaginative ways.
About Lisa Hilli
Lisa Hilli is a contemporary artist, curator and scholar of Gunantuna (Tolai) heritage from Papua New Guinea. Her practice explores the intersections of identity, gender and colonial history through tactile and visual forms. Known for her use of textiles, digital media and adornment, Hilli’s work honours lived experience and cultural resilience.
Her acclaimed installation Birds of a Feather pays tribute to Dame Meg Taylor and the strength of Papua New Guinean women, using fabric and digital prints to weave stories of empowerment and legacy.
Hilli’s work is currently featured in High Colour, an immersive exploration of local and global Indigenous perspectives on colour at the Art Gallery of NSW until January 2026.
Curriculum connections
- Learning areas: Visual Arts (Exploring and Creating)
- General capabilities: Creative and Critical Thinking, Intercultural Capability
Materials list
Registered participants will receive a reminder email a week before their booked session. Suggested materials for this session include:
- Raffia (or alternatives such as jute, hemp twine, paper ribbon or recycled fabric strips)
- Cotton thread or wool (or alternatives like embroidery floss, yarn, string or shoelaces)
- Adornment objects: beads, buttons, flowers (real or artificial), leaves, shells, feathers, sequins, charms
- Tools: scissors, hole punchers, staplers, glue, tape
Students are encouraged to gather materials from home or classroom supplies, with a focus on recycled, natural or found objects to inspire sustainable creativity.
