Suitable for: Clothing, curtains/blinds, lampshades, tablecloths, craft, soft furnishings, light upholstery

About the artist

Arthur Roughsey was born in 1967 into the Lardil language group of Mornington Island. He is among artists connected to the Mornington Island Arts and Crafts Centre who are inspired by one another and use contemporary materials to express mythic stories and the bonds between traditional culture and country.

Usually working on a dark ground, Roughsey paints constellations of small dots to abstract effect. Used here as a textile scheme in Thuwathu, Roughsey finds a naturally compatible medium for his ethereal effect.

A traditional story underpins the work, as Roughsey explains. 'This fellow, Thuwathu, he is the Rainbow Serpent. Thuwathu is his language name in our Lardil language. He died when his sister Bulthuku (the Shorebird), lit him up with fire when he wouldn't share his shelter with her and her baby Jindirrbu (Willy-wagtail). Her baby died because of the cold rain when Thuwathu wouldn't give them shelter. Now you see him up in the sky as the many different colours of the rainbow.'

Purchase of fabric directly supports the artist.

Care instructions

Gentle cold hand wash with a mild water based soap/detergent (Alcohol based detergent and bleach will damage the print).  

Do not use fabric softener. 

Do not bleach.

Rinse well with cold water.

Do not tumble dry.

After washing, lay flat on clean towels, on a drying rack or hang to drip dry out of direct sunlight. Cool iron on reverse by using protective cloth.

Dry Cleanable.

The lustre of silk can diminish with moisture, so best to dry clean.

Due to the nature of the medium, exact colour matches cannot be guaranteed. 

Every effort is made to provide a photo that represents the true colour of the fabric, however due to variations between screens, colour can appear differently on screen to the final product.

Postage 

Fabric will be bubble wrapped and posted in a PostPak. Please contact the Gallery