Born from the vision of nine senior women of the Goomeroi people, the Euraba Paper Company has created an artistic movement that is a landmark for Australian Aboriginal art.

Indigenart, The Mossenson Galleries, in conjunction with Euraba Paper Company are proud to present the first Western Australian exhibition from the women of Boggabilla, NSW.

In 1999, nine senior women of the Goomeroi people decided it was time to take control of their community and their destiny. After study and consultation, they founded the Euraba Paper Company, which in 2001 became the first incorporated Aboriginal enterprise in Australia to produce elite handmade paper. The dream of Euraba was to create an economically viable industry for the Goomeroi community and use the paper mill to provide future employment opportunities and in turn relieve generations of welfare dependency, crime, substance abuse and ill-health.

Utilising the fibre cast-offs from the local cotton industry, Euraba reuse the waste of European industry to produce art that reconnects them with their ancient traditions and country. In doing so, it continues the Goomeroi’s physical connection to their lands and represents a new development in their long history of fibre work. For the Goomeroi, Euraba is a source of pride; a new future for the community that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. For some of the women, Euraba represents their first full-time occupation since working as domestic servants of the stations in the 1950s.

From humble beginnings, the artists of Euraba have created an art of innovation and energy. The defiance of their venture is powerfully reflected in the directness and immediacy of their artwork. Rather than painting on paper, the artists create works that stem from the process of papermaking.

At the heart of Euraba Paper Company is Aunty May Hinch, an elder of the Goomeroi and one of the nine founders of Euraba Paper Company. Her work, with its forthright energy, cultural strength and originality of vision, is a testament to the initiative of determined people. Her daughters, Lola and Leonie Binge, and her nieces, Thelma and Lisa Bartman are also key artists in the group.

Pulp Non-Fiction showcases the diverse talents of these artists of the Euraba Paper Company in their first Western Australian exhibition.

Pulp Non-Fiction: True Stories from Euraba, Boggabilla will open at Indigenart, The Mossenson Galleries Subiaco on Monday 24 July and will run until Saturday 19 August 2006.