CASSIE LEATHAM
Cassie Leatham
gulunun dhandha darrandal (black, tiger, brown snake)
2022/2023, native plant fibres bush dyed, recycled silver.
ARTIST STATEMENT
CASSIE LEATHAM
Cassie Leatham is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural educator, master weaver, designer and jeweller. The Taungurung / Dja Dja Wurrung artist draws inspiration from the cultural practices of her ancestors, researching and transforming techniques perfected by First Nations people from South East Australia. Through her weaving, textiles, ceramics and jewellery work, Leatham preserves cultural knowledge while connecting with ancestors and Country.
Snake chain, 2022, features three tiers of snake bone vertebrae, individually cast in silver, which are threaded onto string made from native pandanus grass fibres and softened with felted balls of possum fur. Leatham’s combination of hand carving and silver casting highlights the intricacy of the native fauna’s vertebrae that captured her childhood imagination. For Leatham, the necklace’s three tiers represent the past, present and future, acknowledging her ancestors and, in the present, creating ceremonial adornments for future generations to encounter, much like the artist did as a girl.
