Artwork: Tikari Rigney
February 6 - March 24, 2023
Opening event: Friday, February 10, 6-8pm
The Mill Exhibition Space, 154 Angas St, Kaurna Yarta
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You can find Snug Diaries in The Mill’s Gallery II, located at 154 Angas St, Kaurna Yarta (Adelaide).
Gallery II is open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm.
Accessibility
The Mill has two entrances, the main entrance on the corner of Angas and Gunson Street and an accessible entrance further down Angas Street.
Both doors are locked from the outside, there is a doorbell on the main door that will alert The Mill team. They will meet you at the accessible entrance to welcome you into the building.
The Mill has concrete flooring throughout with no internal steps and a disability toilet on site.
Read more in-depth information on our accessibility web page.
The Mill is thrilled to present a new solo exhibition titled ‘Snug Diaries’ by Tikari Rigney. Kaurna, Narrungga and Ngarrindjeri visual artist and poet Tikari has developed this body of work during their 6-month Sponsored Studio Residency at The Mill in 2022, a new initiative supported by the Mahmood Martin Foundation. Snug Diaries is a sensory and tactile environment that encourages audiences to ponder the complexities of human experience. The exhibition includes soft ‘bodies’, made from textile scraps that have been machine and hand embroidered with Tikari’s poetry. The undulating forms are friendly and inviting to touch, providing a unique sensory experience for audiences. Yet, the words in both English and First Nations languages (Kaurna, Narrungga and Ngarrindjeri) explore Tikari’s experiences and challenges navigating queer, Aboriginal, non-binary identities.
The recently formed Solidarity Collective, facilitated by Tikari, have also contributed to the exhibition, with an installation of objects, performance and poetry. The emphasis on peer learning and multidisciplinary collaboration within this project create a profound sense of community and care.
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I would like to acknowledge Snug Diaries at The Mill is on Kaurna land, my grandmother’s land. I feel grateful to the Kaurna community for looking after Country, this land for thousands of years and proud that I am part of the oldest living culture in the world. Sovereignty was never ceded, always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
Snug Diaries is a culmination of works that highlight anti-monolith identities and explores the consistent changing and emotions of navigating identity.
I have to acknowledge and thank members of the Solidarity Collective as their sharing helped shape this exhibition and my practice as a whole.
These poems are like diary entries, thoughts, emotions, bodily challenges documented and try to understand myself. Difficult, sometimes painfully honest insights into my identity yet comforted by the textures of flowing fabric and the hug of soft forms. I encourage you to touch, cuddle with the works, feel solace and familiarity in their fleshy humanoid forms. I hope my writing exploring my daily challenges with my mental health, First Nations culture, queerness and non-binary identity brings solidarity to folks in these communities and learning and empathy to allies.
Ngathu tampinthi ngaityu nakunakupinya ‘Marti Tirntu-irntu Piiparna’ Tawiwardlingka Kaurna yartangka, ngaityu ngapapiku yartangka. I acknowledge (that) my exhibition Snug Diaries at The Mill is on Kaurna land, the land of my grandmother (father’s mother)
Yaintya yarta irdinti yarta, pukipukinangku. Yaintya yarta irdinti yarta muinmurningutha tarrkarri-arra. This land is sovereign land, from long ago. This land will continue to be sovereign land into the future.
Marti Tirntu-irntu Piiparnapira About the Snug Diaries
Yaintya tunki ngaityu piipa. This cloth is my book.
Ngaityu pintyapintyanya ngatparnarli tirntu-irntu piipangka. My writings are like entries in a diary.
Ngathu ngaityu yailtya, ngaityu muiyu, ngaityu nunupira pintyanthi ngaintipira tirkatitya. I am writing my thoughts/beliefs, my emotions (and) about my body in order to understand/learn about myself.
Ngai muiyu, ngai yitpi, ngai tuwila, ngaityu ngutu, ngaityu mukapa, ngaityu yailtya yaintya tunkingka. My emotions, my soul, my spirit, my knowledge, my memory, my thought is in this cloth. Kurdantu, manmantu, martintu yaintya tunki. Touch, grab, embrace this fabric! Ngaityu pintyapintyanya nintaitya wangkaingku! Let my writings speak to you!
Yaintya ngaityu tiyati warra. This is my truth.
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Tikari Rigney is a non-binary (they/them) Kaurna, Narrunga and Ngarrindjeri visual artist and poet living and working on Kaurna land. Their process is centred around their language, identity specifically their family’s First Nations history and informed by personal challenges and experiences. Their interests are in community connection, solidarity and learning. These are explored through a range of mediums however, their practice currently is focused on textiles and fleshy anthropomorphic sculptures.
Tikari has been involved with several group shows and will be exhibiting their first solo exhibition at the completion of their residency at The Mill in February 2023. Their next residency is at Nexus towards the end of 2023.
The Mill’s Sponsored Studio program is presented in co-operation with Mahmood Martin Foundation.
