Lola Greeno grew up on Cape Barren and Flinders Island in the Bass Strait, off the north-east of Tasmania, and the sea and all its elements were an intrinsic part of her childhood. Like many Palawa women of Tasmania, Greeno first learnt to make shell necklaces in the traditional style from her mother, mastering the techniques required to create the lustrous strings, and observing precise protocols and cultural knowledge when gathering, preparing and completing them. Later in life, though, with her specialist knowledge of the tides and seasons, Greeno has developed a rich and varied repertoire of materials for crafting unique objects and designs.

Engaging in a cultural practice unbroken through centuries, Greeno began using the local bull kelp to make Rika, the containers used by her ancestors to collect and store precious fresh water for domestic use. The raw, golden kelp grows thick in underwater forests, undulating gently through wave action, and the process of making Rika begins with the careful selection of leaves suitable for drying and moulding into a container form. Next, piercings are made in the leathery kelp while it is still malleable, and finely honed wooden skewers are threaded through it, gathering and strengthening the material into a rounded form. A handle spun from local fibre is attached to the container, allowing it to be carried or hung up, ready for use. After drying and shaping, the kelp becomes rigid and black, the water carrier’s matte surface contrasting starkly with the translucent shells of Greeno’s necklaces. The beauty of both objects lies in their distinctive natural materials.

It is fitting, considering Greeno’s tying together of the sea and body with her poetic and ageless gestures, that in 2015 she was the first Indigenous artist to be recognised as a ‘Living Treasure – Master of Australian Craft’, and in 2019 was awarded the prestigious Australia Council Red Ochre Award for her contribution to the cultural significance and vibrancy of Indigenous arts in Australia.