DIVE INTO CULTURE
Tasked with outfitting a new commercial property in New York, the Paspaley family has commissioned 500 works of original Indigenous fine art in an exchange that not only drives economic and social change in remote communities, but showcases our talent to
Members of the Paspaley family have been practising a seemingly romantic rite of passage for generations. When the youngest members turn 18, they are sent on secondment to the dynasty’s famous pearl farms off the coast of the Kimberley in Western Australia to learn the family trade. While it sounds like an idyllic entree into the business – witnessing divers retrieve the world’s rarest and most valuable cultured pearls from the sapphire depths – in reality those who’ve done it (including current creative director Christine Salter) will tell you the work, often morning to night, is physically demanding. Even so, the ritual provides the ultimate history lesson for descendants of Greek-born Nicholas Paspaley, who bought his first pearl lugger at age 19 in the 1930s.
The insightful experience also instils a sense of sacred storytelling among family members, with the passing of intergenerational knowledge considered paramount, particularly among the third generation who are now largely running operations. Alongside Salter sit her brothers Peter and Michael Bracher, who serve as executive directors, while cousin James Paspaley is CEO, and another cousin Chris Paspaley and his half-brother Nick Hanigan work respectively as director of merchandising and in the properties division.
Alongside storytelling, so too there is a deep respect for the Indigenous land on which the Paspaleys operate, as well as a connection to Country and the culture of Australia’s First Nations people. In addition to time spent in the Kimberleys among ancient coves and untouched cliffscapes dating back thousands of years, many of the family live or have been raised in Darwin.
When it came time 18 months ago to commission a large body of art for a new hotel the Paspaleys are planning a world away in New York City, the decision was unanimous: only original Indigenous fine art pieces were to be featured.
Along with myriad philanthropic ventures, the family has a threedecade-long passionate interest in the Indigenous art space and shares a deep understanding of how important art centres are for driving economic and social change in remote communities.
“As part of the project, there was always going to be an engagement with art. With any commercial property project like that, it’s an important part of the puzzle,” explains CEO James Paspaley. “There was a level of resistance at first from our [New York] interior design team when we suggested Indigenous art, but it was based out of a lack of understanding. Once they started being shown the works and the artists, there was a complete turnaround,” he says, adding the opportunity “showcases something we understand is incredibly important and something from our backyard that is world class”.
Mia Bracher, wife of Michael, who has a background in art history, was charged with leading the commission and after an annual trip to the popular Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, began working with the acclaimed APY Art Centre Collective from remote Central Australia, which is comprised of 10 Indigenous-owned and -governed enterprises on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands). What transpired is the largest commission of its nature – 500 works created to the value of $250,000, with sales income directly injected into APY communities.
“We were looking for excellence and to engage the best in Australian contemporary Indigenous art,” says Bracher, namechecking five artists as key talent: Peter Mungkari, Matjangka Norris, Wawiriya Burton, Tjangili George and Betty Muffler (who created Vogue Australia’s September ‘Hope’ cover last year). “Once we found the art centre, it was just a process of how we do it, because it was a first for both of us,” she explains. The synergy between the Paspaley family and how Indigenous Australians share their histories, she adds, made it even more meaningful.
“When you see an Indigenous painting being made, that’s a song being sung. This is all storytelling. That song is a narrative, it’s telling you how to live and it’s a million different messages at once and it’s between generations, too. I think that’s something that really happens to the same extent in what we do.”
APY Art Centre Collective manager Skye O’Meara, who worked directly with Mia Bracher, recognised this similarity, too. “I knew about Paspaley’s beautiful prestigious product, but I didn’t
know how rich the family’s company story is – that there was this incredible narrative about a company built on family traditions and values.” Over the years, O’Meara witnessed family members connecting with Aboriginal artists and communities, but even she was initially surprised at their level of commitment.
“Some of the very best commercial galleries in the world are right there [in New York] so it would have been very easy for them to go in a different direction,” O’Meara says. “They also could have come to us and bought a bunch of paintings from our galleries, but it wasn’t just about that. They wanted to create a unique body of work. They made a commitment to celebrate Indigenous art-making in a way that was absolutely in line with valuing the work, sharing the story of artists in the APY Lands and celebrating the economic model of the art centre as well.”
James Paspaley says “effective engagement” was always a conscious decision and emphasises that this project was a commercial venture first and foremost. “I think there is general ignorance in large parts of Australia of the challenges that are actually faced by those in remote communities in North West and Central Australia as far as activity is concerned. [That is] what economic activity and what economic opportunities are there so that people can live and prosper on Country,” he says. “The traditional ideas of charity and support by throwing money at non-functional activities is pointless and wasteful, but engaging in economic, emotional projects like this is empowering … it’s not giving, it’s simply creating the right economic outcomes.”
“What ended up happening from start to finish with this project is kind of a model of best practice,” echoes O’Meara. “We hope it inspires other companies. It’s amazing seeing the art being celebrated but it’s also time to recognise what an incredible business story this is. Companies with means and companies with an intention can do this. What ends up happening when people operate with generosity and trust and stay in it together is an outcome that demonstrates artistic excellence.”
When guests eventually stay at the upcoming Paspaley premises, they will bear witness to just how breathtaking the works are. “They are so different, too,” points out James Paspaley. “When you look at the Peter Mungkari works and then look at Betty Muffler’s, they’re opposite ends of the spectrum with one full of colour and one black and white.” His favourites belong to Wawiriya Burton. “There’s something about them I love. I’m simple,” he jokes. “I love the colours and I love the stories. There’s also a story of little female desert mice and the footprints in the sand, which I find whimsical.”
Mia Bracher feels a special connection to the Kilipi series (that translates to ‘Night-time Stars’) by Matjangka Norris, which depict swirling constellations in soothing colour as if you are gazing upwards.
“If you’ve ever been in the Kimberley or Northern Territory, it’s just you and the stars and she has all these different layers,” says Bracher of the series. “In a way, we’re taking a piece of Australia over to New York. In that big hustle-bustle city, you’re going to have this ancient night sky stretched out over your bed. There is something really beautiful and magical and calming and centred about those works.”
Bracher adds all the artworks are connected by nature, offering a sense of reassurance. “It’s about noticing the small things and coming down to that level in nature, even though they’re all quite different visually. They are a beautiful stringing together of the natural world, which is also what we’re all about.”