Freya Irani Weaves Traditional Textile Art With Cultural Heritage In Her Work

To the world, Freyana Irani is an Indian- born Australian actor, writer and human rights lawyer. A flourishing acting career, an activist temperament and a commanding voice of an artist are few of the many virtues Irani possesses.

Freyana holds a double degree in Law and Arts from the University of New South Wales, with majors in film studies and video production.

Her bio informs us about her illustrious career as a writer addressing issues revolving around women and children’s rights, race, and culture that have been published in national and international print and online media, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Womankind, Future Perfect, and the Human Rights Defender magazines.

What many might not know is her penchant for the dexterous art of weaving and the multi-faceted artist’s position as ‘the maker of handmade things’.

Developing an interest in the realm of textile art and weaving, Irani documents her carefully crafted passion projects on her Instagram every once in a while featuring a giant quilted cushion, raffia vessels, and some wonky vases; some made out of the joy of creating and others commissioned by friends and family.

Honing her role as a prolific maker of tactile objects, Irani’s latest venture sees her foraying into flat weave making. Juxtaposing her love for the traditional craft with her Indian heritage, Freyana’s project Together Again, came to fruition during her return to Mumbai during the pandemic.

Indulging in the isolated period of time that felt like a dark abyss to the world, Irani found herself piecing together the unravelled strings of collective heritage and familial ties in a flat weave project titled Together Again.

Deciding to opt for Indian fibre that represented her family’s background, Irani chose silk noil and brass wire to construct an intricate flat weave.

With every knot representing a member of her family unit, the artist mentions that the construction was challenging, just like the fragile bonds of relationships, but are always best bound together.

View her work here.

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