Harry (Sandra) Higgs

Sandra Higgs was born in Coen, in the Cape York region of Queensland, in 1962. A Kantju artist, Higgs learnt weaving techniques from her grandmother. Her weaving practice has been informed by a long period of residence at Nira Nina Bush Place, Spring Beach and Cape Barren Island in Tasmania. During this time she participated in the exhibition ‘Crossing the Strait: Tasmania to the South Coast’, which was held at the Wollongong City Gallery in 1999. Higgs has created woven baskets, bags and fish traps using water reed grass, flax, cordyline, jute, dodda vine (snotty wood), rafia, pine needles, feathers and cotton string. As she is quoted as saying in the ‘Crossing the Strait’ catalogue, “Aboriginal fibre artists and their craft are essential to provide the link between past cultural practices and present cultural artistic expressions.” (p. 38). Her work is in the collection of the Australian National Maritime Museum.