Diane Pirotta
Diane Pirotta is a multidisciplinary Wiradjuri artist whose practice spans painting, drawing, jewellery making, and a wide range of craft‑based processes. Her work is grounded in cultural knowledge, incorporating traditional Wiradjuri techniques such as stitching, story‑based design, and the use of natural or locally sourced materials. Whether creating works on paper or canvas, or crafting jewellery and small sculptural forms, she brings a deep respect for hand‑made processes and the stories embedded in materials. Her practice is tactile, thoughtful, and rooted in both contemporary experimentation and the continuity of Wiradjuri cultural traditions.
My artwork is an installation exploring identity, culture and sense of place. Mum didn’t tell us we were Wiradjuri until 40 years ago. I have woven my childhood memories of picking wildflowers for Mum into a colourful Mexican shawl, depicting the bushland, looking down the gorge to the creek below, using raffia and corn husks. Next to this is my possum-skin cloak with pyrography showing the Maliyan (wedge-tailed eagle), family tree and the river system of my ancestral homeland. A wood burning of Ganguddy sits between them. I will be workshopping Mexican paper flowers during the festival.
