Megan Wilfred | South East Arnhem Land Weaver

Megan Wilfred is a Ritharrngu artist from Walker River in South East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. She is part of a strong family of Yolŋu artists and lives and works in Numbulwar, where she continues to practice and share cultural knowledge through fibre art.

Megan is best known for her fibre works made from naturally dyed pandanus and for her innovative use of reclaimed materials, including ghost nets. Her practice includes intricately woven baskets, dilly bags, and mats, created using traditional weaving techniques passed down through generations of women in her family. These works are often dyed using natural bush materials, producing earthy tones and layered colour variations that reflect the landscape of Country.

In addition to pandanus weaving, Megan also produces sculptural dilly bags made from ghost nets, transforming marine debris into culturally grounded artworks that speak to both environmental care and cultural continuity. This dual approach reflects a balance between ancestral knowledge and contemporary concerns affecting coastal Arnhem Land.

Her woven baskets and mats are not only functional forms but also cultural expressions, carrying knowledge of land, fibre preparation, dyeing processes, and kinship connections. Each piece embodies the relationship between people, Country, and material practice, continuing a lineage of Yolŋu women’s weaving traditions.

Working within the Numbulwar art community, Wilfred contributes to a broader movement of fibre artists in South East Arnhem Land who are revitalising and evolving weaving practices through natural dyeing, experimental forms, and storytelling through material.

Her work is recognised for its strong connection to Yolŋu cultural knowledge, its technical skill in weaving, and its thoughtful engagement with contemporary environmental and cultural themes.