‘Welcome to Country - now you see me: seeing the invisible’, designed by renowned artists Maree Clarke (Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung) and Mitch Mahoney (Boonwurrung/Barkindji).

The design is inspired by microscopic images of river reeds from the Maribyrnong River. Clarke and Mahoney’s artwork will be transformed into a three-dimensional tapestry spanning 4.2 x 10 metres, making it one of the largest tapestries ever produced for a public hospital in Victoria. The tapestry is also one of the largest ever produced at the ATW and the only tapestry ever woven at the ATW to be suspended in an ellipse installation.

‘Welcome to Country – now you see me: seeing the invisible’ is a tapestry commission supported by The Premier’s Suite partnership for the new Footscray Hospital. The Premier’s Suite is a partnership between the Tapestry Foundation of Australia, the State Government of Victoria and the Australian Hotels Association to fund the production of major tapestry commissions that are gifted to new Victorian hospitals. The new Footscray Hospital tapestry is a collaboration between Plenary Health, the official arts partner for the new hospital, Footscray Community Arts, the Australian Tapestry Workshop, and the Tapestry Foundation of Australia, in collaboration with the Victorian Health Building Authority and Western Health.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Maree Clarke is a Yorta Yorta Wamba Wamba/Mutti Mutti/Boonwurrung woman who is a pivotal figure in the reclamation of southeast Australian Aboriginal art practices, reviving elements of Aboriginal culture that were lost - or lying dormant - over the period of colonisation as well as a leader in nurturing and promoting the diversity of contemporary southeast Aboriginal artists. She is represented by Vivien Anderson Gallery.

Mitch Mahoney is a proud Boon Wurrung artist and cultural educator who consults at Bunjilaka Melbourne Museum, Science Gallery and Footscray Arts Centre. Mitch regularly collaborates with his Aunt, Maree Clarke. Together they have produced significant commissions for the NGV and the Metro Tunnel Project. Mitch is focused on Indigenous Bio-Design in his practice with projects including The Biodegradable Eel Trap and Seven Canoe’s project.

TAPESTRY STATS AT A GLANCE

- 14 Victorian-based Australian Tapestry Workshop employees worked on the tapestry:

- 12 weavers

- 2 dyeing specialists

- 2 support staff

- The hand woven tapestry took the Australian Tapestry Workshop weavers over 10,000 hours to complete over a 14-month period.

- The tapestry weaving commenced in April 2024 and was completed in June 2025.

- The tapestry is 42 square metres (4.2m high x 10m wide).

- The tapestry weighs over 135 kilograms.

- The tapestry includes over 270 kilometres of weft yarn (the distance from the new Footscray Hospital to Yarrawonga in north-east Victoria).

- The tapestry used 103 yarn colours (including 8 custom-colours).

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Fact Sheet