Meet: Home Bound's collaborating artists and groups

Home Bound, the ninth Betty Amsden Participation Program celebrates the vibrant practice of weaving through the distinctive voices of contemporary artists, each bringing their own cultural threads and innovative approaches to the craft.

From sculptural fibre works to experimental textile techniques, our featured artists demonstrate how weaving connects communities, embodies cultural knowledge, and continues to evolve as a dynamic form of expression. Their work reveals the endless possibilities that emerge when diverse weaving traditions and contemporary visions intertwine.

Introducing: Andrew Chan

Andrew Chan is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Naarm/Melbourne. With previous experience as a graphic designer for over 15 years, Andrew’s artistic journey began in 2019 when they discovered knitting which quickly became their primary medium. Through their work, Andrew strives to challenge the traditional perception of knitting as mere craft, addressing its historical gender bias. Andrew’s work often weaves together the intersectional stories of migrants, queer people and people of colour, providing a platform for stories from the marginalised community.

Introducing: Ash Snare

Ash Snare, a Melbourne-based shibari artist and instructor, began training in Tokyo in 2015 and has taught and performed regularly since 2018. As head instructor at Rope Dojo, he mentors students from beginners to confident performers and teachers. Ash has performed at major Australian alternative culture events, including Sexpo, OzKink Fest, and Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and introduced shibari to festivals like Esoteric and Rainbow Serpent. Recently, he collaborated with Luke George and Daniel Kok to bring rope art to iconic Melbourne venues, including the NGV and Royal Exhibition Building.

Introducing: Chaco Kato

Chaco Kato is an interdisciplinary artist working in sculpture, drawing, installation, and community projects. Her practice emphasises collaboration, negotiation, and the use of everyday materials to explore impermanence, interconnectedness, and flux, inspired by her Japanese heritage and “zen punk” aesthetics. Themes such as weeds, communal spaces, fermentation, and composting reflect her dynamic, adaptive approach to changing environments. Kato challenges binaries and traditional hierarchies, using her art as a political and social tool. A founding member of the Slow Art Collective, she promotes sustainability and community engagement, blending art with everyday life to inspire fresh perspectives and interactions.

Introducing: Qaymi Arts and Craft

Qaymi Arts specialises in the handmade traditional Somali weaving of rugs, bags, and wall decorations. Qaymi Arts showcases traditional Somali craft to a wider audience while at the same time preserving cultural heritage. Muhubo Sulieman is a Somali traditional weaver who learned cultural weaving and sewing skills growing up in Somalia. Self-taught from the age of five, she was inspired by watching her mother craft materials like huts, bags, and rugs. Muhubo specializes in handmade traditional weaving, creating rugs, bags, and wall decorations that showcase Somali craftsmanship and preserve cultural heritage."

Introducing: Tarryn Love

Tarryn Love is a proud Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong woman, born on Wadawurrung Country. She is a granddaughter, youngest daughter, sister, and proud Aunty. As an emerging artist, curator, and producer, Tarryn works under the collective Koorroyarr (granddaughter), honouring her identity and connection to her Ancestors. Her practice highlights Gunditjmara ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing—dynamic and ever-evolving. Centering her mother tongue, Keerray Woorroong, Tarryn’s work focuses on identity, intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and cultural revitalization. She says, “My work is for my family, for Country, and for community—because I do not exist without them.”

Introducing: Dr Vicki Couzens

Vicki Couzens, a Keerray Wooroong Gunditjmara artist from western Victoria, is renowned for her interdisciplinary practice, which she calls “creative cultural expression.” Her work spans painting, installation, printmaking, language, ceremony, and teaching but is best known for reviving the possum skin cloak tradition, now central to south-eastern Australia. With over 45+ years of community work, Couzens has driven cultural and language revival, collaborating as a cultural adviser and creative developer for major institutions like Museums Victoria. Recognized as a Senior Knowledge Holder, her impactful work is held in national and international collections, including the National Gallery of Victoria.

Introducing: Yu Fang Chi

Yu Fang Chi is a Taiwan-born Australian artist specialising in textiles, silversmithing, sculpture, and installation. Her practice blends the solidity of metal with the organic fluidity of fibre, exploring human-environment interactions through material-based techniques and immersive installations. Her work has featured in ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE Festival, Melbourne Design Week, and international biennales. Chi has received grants from the Australia Council for the Arts and Taiwan's National Culture and Arts Foundation. A PhD graduate from RMIT and recipient of the Diana Morgan Prize, her work is held in collections worldwide, including Taiwan's Gold Museum and Paris's Musée des Arts Décoratifs.