ATW was thrilled to work on a special tapestry portrait of esteemed Melbourne barrister Alan C Archibald QC of Owen Dixon Chambers West in 2019.

Archibald is one of Australia’s leading barristers who has represented many major companies including ANZ and Apple. This tapestry portrait was commissioned by Archibald’s peers and colleagues to honour his career and in recognition of his significant contribution to the field. The portrait will hang in the Victorian Bar’s Peter O’Callaghan QC Gallery.

The design for the tapestry is by photographer John Gollings AM, and was taken inside the barrister’s chambers, with his leather-bound library of books behind him. Archibald is shown in traditional court dress with a lace jabot around his neck.

For weavers Chris Cochius and Pamela Joyce, the biggest challenge working on this project was its limited tonal and colour range. Sumac, or supplementary weft threads, were used for the fine lace detailing of the jabot and to capture fine detail in Archibald’s facial features.