Parramatta, the largest tapestry woven in Australia in over 35 years, has been officially unveiled in the lobby of Walker Corporation’s recently completed 6 Parramatta Square.
Designed by Australian artist Chris Kenyon and brought to life by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Parramatta depicts how today’s modern CBD would have looked to Australia’s first European settlers.
Measuring 11.5 metres wide and seven metres high, Parramatta is Australia’s second-largest tapestry designed by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, following their Great Hall Tapestry designed for Parliament House in Canberra, in 1988.
Walker Corporation Executive Chairman Lang Walker AO said Parramatta is the last of his 10 privately commissioned artworks to take pride of place in the company’s four towers.
“The size and scale of the tapestry really draws you in and elevates the entry experience for the thousands of workers and visitors that walk through 6 Parramatta Square each day,” said Mr Walker.
“People’s moods are lifted by great artworks in the workplace, and we are proud to have collaborated with some of Australia’s best creative minds to enhance Parramatta, which has become a vibrant hub of commercial, community and cultural activity,” added Mr Walker.
Renowned Australian artist Chris Kenyon painted his vision of Parramatta on canvas before sharing it with the Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW) to complete, by 13 of the country’s best weavers, over 18 months, on two separate looms.
“The Parramatta is a vibrant interpretation of what Australia’s first European settlers would have seen from the Parramatta River as their boat approached the rich fertile landscape, home to First Nations Burramattagal people,” said Mr Kenyon.
“The craftmanship in Parramatta is the best I’ve ever seen with strong bold shapes and high contrast of the colourful landscape that settlers on board the Rose Hill Packet boat would have seen when they first came ashore at Parramatta Cove in 1789,” said Mr Kenyon.
“The smoke is rising from a cooking fire lit by the Barramatagul people, the original landowners while looking beyond to the Blue Mountains in the distance,” he added.
Kenyon’s design was scaled up 10 times, resulting in 1cm on the painting becoming a 10cm area on the tapestry to accommodate its four-metre viewing distance. The final design needed to be constructed in two parts, incorporating 171 colours in a myriad of combinations and weighing over 250kg.
Parramatta adds to an incredible collection of contemporary Australian artwork commissioned by Mr Walker which educates, captivates and inspires.
Parramatta hangs opposite the Heritage Interpretation by Darug Council and GML Consultants, which links the stories of Parramatta Square with the site’s ancient creek line as a visual device to move the audience through a timeline of change at the site.
Honey Ant Dreaming by indigenous artist Yaritji Young also hangs in the lobby of 6 Parramatta Square, along with The Rose Hill packet replica boat which carried the first European settlers up the Parramatta River.
