Unique beadwork at outdoor galley

A NEW installation featuring beads has arrived at the Unicorn Lane outdoor gallery.

Titled Beads and Biodiversity the works are by Shalome Lateef and centre around bead strands created from wood, fruits and seeds which grow in the Ballarat region.

Ms Lateef said her first set of beads were made from seeds from the Erythrina vespertilio tree, known as ininti in some Western Desert languages, and followed instruction of elders from Yuendumu in the Northern Territory.

Traditionally, the seeds are burnt to create holes and threaded onto string made from human hair to be used in ceremonies.

Lateef made a second set of beads years later out of ininti and blackwood, inspired by her experiences in the Northern Territory and growing up in Trentham.

Then during COVID-19 lockdowns she began to use roses for her bead making.

“I fell in love with this process, and it sparked a new love of beads and bead making,” she said.

“I love the slowness of handcrafting each individual bead, the smells involved especially when burning holes in seeds, and the repetition of action that results in a sense of time being devoured.

“Each piece I make is unique and is a collaboration with the specific plants involved.”

Most of her beads are made from plant materials, but Ms Lateef also uses sea glass, pumice and other non-plant items.

The exhibition is on until Tuesday, 11 April.