Broome artist Rowena Morgan wins NIFA textile design award

A Broome artist has been recognised at one of Australia’s most prestigious First Nations fashion awards ceremony for her textile designs in Darwin earlier this month. Rowena Morgan, from women’s art centre Nagula Jarndu, was crowned the winner of the textile design award at the National Indigenous Fashion Awards on August 9 after travelling to the Northern Territory when learning of being shortlisted. The Kija and Gooniyandi woman, who grew up in Halls Creek before relocating to Broome about 10 years ago, was one of six artists and art centres to win in their nominated category. After keeping busy the night before at the Country to Couture Runway Show with the staff from Nagula Jarndu and five other Kimberley women, Ms Morgan said she didn’t know what to expect leading up to the awards ceremony, “I’m so glad I was with an awesome bunch of women as I was so nervous, they kept me focused and relaxed,” she said. Once taking their seats and the stage lit up, Ms Morgan waited in anticipation before hearing her name announced as the textile design winner. “I was so nervous but happy — so many mixed emotions,” she said, I felt so proud of myself when I received the award; I had written down some dot points on paper to be prepared but I lost the paper it was written on and so I had to wing it.” Nagula Jarndu manager Eunice Yu and her colleagues nominated Ms Morgan for the award, saying she deserved the recognition because of her dedication to her work and commitment to improving her technique. “Rowena’s art design tells the story about her home country and her connection to culture,” she said. “All of us at Nagula Jarndu are so happy for Rowena to be recognised for her textile design and art — we all cried happy tears on the night. “It’s fantastic for one of our artists to be recognised nationally and it confirms that Nagula Jarndu is doing great work with its artists.” On top of taking home the textile design award, Ms Morgan will receive customised textile design professional development with the renowned RMIT School of Fashion and Textiles, ranked one of the best fashion schools in the world. “It’s so surreal to have this sort of recognition on a national level, I’m still getting my head around it all,” she said. “I’m looking forward to what comes now and the personal development that I will receive with support from RMIT.” Indigenous Fashion Projects’ NIFA Winners 2023 Traditional adornment award: Gapuwiyak Culture & Arts artists Community collaboration award: Gapuwiyak Culture & Arts X Aly de Groot Business achievement award: Ikuntji Artists Textile design award: Rowena Morgan - Nagula Jarndu Wearable art award: Rhonda Thorpe - Yarrenyty Arltere Artists Fashion designer award: Lillardia Briggs-Houston