Furniture
“Our house was like a tin shed, no bathroom or toilets. No furniture. I dreamed of one day making my own furniture.”
Named after my grandfather, Jadai Empire Furniture embodies our traditional meeting places such as waterholes, shady spots, or campfires, carrying what I call "gathering since time began."
My furniture pieces were born from necessity and transformed through vision. They represent both my personal journey and our cultural continuity.
I grew up in a tin shed with no furniture, no anything, in Bidyadanga Community. I transformed my childhood dreams of making my own furniture into reality, becoming Western Australia's first First Nation's female furniture designer.
This dream has now manifested into pieces like 'The Gathering Place,' a circular design featuring three seats around a central table.
I craft my pieces from Australian steel and marble from the Pilbara region's Marble Bar. They also incorporate fabric from Australia's last operating loom, preserving traditional craftsmanship in an era when many heritage businesses were sold offshore.
My work is my way of honouring my family's legacy while creating heirlooms for future generations, and is a testament to the resourcefulness that has always been part of our way of life.
