Morwel Atar Morwel
Bronwyn HALFPENNY (Thomastown) (16:45): During the Parliament break in July I had the opportunity to attend some fantastic cultural and creative events, a really enjoyable part of the job. The highlight was an invitation to the Morwel Atar Morwel 2023 fashion show and exhibition on 23 July. Morwel Atar is an artist who has launched a fashion line, called Morwel Atar Morwel, of beautiful cultural designs printed on fabric to be made into clothing, soft furnishings and homewares. However, Morwel Atar Morwel is more than just a fashion brand. It celebrates art, culture and creativity with designs that reflect the richness of African heritage and tell captivating stories through patterns, colours and textures. Each piece is a work of art that carries the essence of the past, a vision of the present and the promise of a bright future. The designs also incorporate aspects of Australia, as the designs also give expression to the experiences of the artist.
Morwel Atar Morwel the artist started life in South Sudan and moved to Australia in later life. He is an author, poet and artist as well as taking up the important role of community leader and elder. At the fashion show and exhibition we had a taste of the beautiful, vibrant fabrics, and the guests were treated with an awe-inspiring night, kicking off with exciting cultural dancing followed by talented models of all ages, genders, shapes and sizes strutting their stuff. It was an unforgettable evening, with Florence Basanyukira shining as the master of ceremonies and lots of behind-the-scenes work by Morwel Atar’s daughter Ash and son. It was a great night with dancing and laughing.