Grace Lillian Lee, the Australian First Nations artist currently presenting work at the India Art Fair, extended her presence beyond the exhibition floor this week by leading a hands-on workshop at the fair’s Learning Centre. The session was curated by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art and brought together artists, students and visitors for an intimate exchange centred on Torres Strait Islander practice.
Lee was joined by Lomas Amini for the workshop, which focused on the traditional grasshopper-weaving technique from the Torres Strait Islands. Participants gathered on the floor, working with strips of material while listening and observing as the process unfolded. The emphasis was on making, patience and shared attention rather than instruction alone.
The workshop reflected Lee’s broader practice, which draws from her heritage as a descendant of the Doolah family from Erub, also known as Darnley Island. Based in Cairns in Far North Queensland, she has built an international career that bridges art, fashion and cultural knowledge, using weaving as both method and language. At the Learning Centre, those ideas were translated into a collective setting, where learning took place through touch, repetition and conversation.
The atmosphere was informal and focused, with participants encouraged to sit close, ask questions and take part at their own pace. The grasshopper-weaving technique, traditionally used in Torres Strait Islander culture, became a point of connection across geographies, offering insight into how cultural knowledge is carried through hands and shared experience.
This workshop formed part of Lee’s wider engagement at the India Art Fair, where she is showcasing her work at Booth No. 001 with the support of the Australian High Commission in India. Together, the exhibition and workshop highlighted different sides of her practice, one outward-facing and one grounded in direct exchange, both shaped by continuity, care and cultural memory.
India Art Fair runs from 5 to 8 February.
Maria Irene is India Correspondent for The Indian Sun, reporting on technology, finance, culture, and diaspora stories across India and Australia, with a special focus on initiatives led by the Australian High Commission and its Consulates across India.
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