Pyrography, the art of decorating wood or other materials by burning a design onto its surface with a heated tool, is experiencing a modern resurgence. This ancient technique, often referred to as wood burning, allows artists to create intricate and permanent designs, transforming ordinary objects into unique works of art. From functional items like cheese boards to deeply symbolic possum-skin cloaks, the versatility of pyrography is as vast as its history.
From Cheese Boards to Exhibitions: A Modern Pyrography Artist’s Journey
For Emily Rose Hastie, a contemporary artist from the Gold Coast, the journey into pyrography began with a simple request: to decorate a wooden cheese platter. Initially trained in charcoal and drawing on toned paper, Hastie found traditional painting and drawing methods unsuitable for a surface that needed to be washed. After an uninspiring attempt with a laser printer, she turned to a hardware store, purchased an affordable soldering kit, and discovered a new artistic world.
“It was like I got the soldering iron and this whole world emerged,” Hastie recalls. This accidental discovery has since propelled her into a successful career as a pyrography artist. She co-founded her own studio, held her first solo exhibition in 2021, and has gained national recognition. Her pyrography portrait of former Greens party leader Christine Milne was entered into the prestigious Archibald Prize. Furthermore, she showcased her skill on ABC iview’s Portrait Artist of the Year, completing a portrait of Danni Minogue in a mere four hours.
Hastie finds herself so immersed in the medium that returning to traditional canvas feels alien. “I love it, I can’t even transition back to canvas anymore — it feels strange to me,” she explains. She attributes her entry into this unique art form to a “total happy accident” and her mother’s initial request.
Ancient Roots: Pyrography in Indigenous Australian Cultures
While Hastie’s story is a contemporary one, pyrography itself boasts a history stretching back thousands of years, practiced by cultures across the globe. In Australia, the art form is deeply intertwined with the traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly in the creation of highly valued possum-skin cloaks.
These cloaks, historically used in south-eastern Australia, served as more than just garments; they were intricate records of an individual’s life journey, inscribed with significant personal and tribal information. “Our ancestors would use these cloaks as a record of one’s journey; certain things, depending on your connection to the tribe, would be inscribed on these cloaks,” explains Iluka Sax-Williams, a 26-year-old artist from the Taungurung people of the Kulin Nation and Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islands).
The tradition of cloak making faced significant disruption due to colonialism, leading to a long period where this art form was largely lost. However, in recent decades, a concerted effort by younger generations and community elders has led to a powerful revival.
Reclaiming and Revitalising a Lost Art
A pivotal moment in the revival of the possum-skin cloak tradition occurred in 1999. Three women—Aunty Vicki Couzens, Aunty Lee Darroch, and Aunty Treahna Hamm—were shown two First Nations cloaks from the late 1800s, preserved in the collection of Museum Victoria. Witnessing these deeply personal artifacts from their ancestors had a profound effect.
Dr. Vicki Couzens described this experience as “a call from the ancestors to reawaken the song lines of the possum cloak story, to return the cloaks to our people, to reclaim, regenerate, revitalise and remember.” This powerful call to action inspired Dr. Couzens and other Gunditjmara community members to begin hosting possum-skin cloak workshops, re-establishing the practice and its cultural significance.
Sax-Williams, inspired by this movement and the work of elders like Dr. Couzens, has built his own successful career in pyrography. His work, including a pyrography piece on kangaroo skin titled Woora Liwik, has earned him accolades such as the RMIT Emerging Artist Award and has been featured in public art installations. He sees his practice as a continuation of this vital cultural reclamation.
“These women had to fight hard to get these [cloaks] back into the hands of our people,” Sax-Williams notes. “But it’s not just that, it’s the knowledge as well, and spreading that back to us. That inspires me.”
The Meditative Nature of Fire Art
Despite the inherent intensity of working with a red-hot tool that permanently marks the material, both Hastie and Sax-Williams describe pyrography as a calming and meditative practice. The precision required for intricate designs necessitates a focused state of mind.
“I think I’m quite a perfectionist,” says Hastie. “And even though I like painting, I love pyrography because I have to commit and be at peace with what I’ve done.” She likens the process to mindfulness, emphasizing the need for commitment and acceptance of each mark made.
Working with different types of wood presents a unique challenge and reward, as Hastie explains. “I’ve always been drawn to nature and there’s something so grounding about working with wood,” she says. “You also have the grain, and it’s just such a beautiful thing to collaborate with — half the joy is picking a canvas.”
Sax-Williams echoes this sentiment, finding the slow, deliberate nature of pyrography to be a welcome contrast to the fast pace of modern life. “I find it very therapeutic; it’s a very slow process and it slows me down,” he states. “In this fast-paced world it’s kind of hard to get two seconds to yourself, so it’s really nice to be able to really zone out, or zone in, and just really dive into it.” He humorously adds, “I won’t say it’s a breath of fresh air, because it’s definitely smoky, but it’s a lot of fun.”
Sharing the Knowledge: Education and Cultural Transmission
For Sax-Williams, teaching pyrography is an integral part of his artistic practice, deeply rooted in his upbringing. His parents ran an Indigenous education consultancy, instilling in him the importance of knowledge sharing.
“It’s part of our culture, it’s something that was stripped away from us, and so growing up as a young black fella, we know these are things that we have to pass on to the next generation,” he explains. He actively teaches pyrography to both children and adults within his community and beyond, travelling internationally to share his skills and cultural heritage.
“It’s really wonderful to be able to share that knowledge, share that culture, but also share that love as well,” Sax-Williams concludes. “That’s what we’re all about.” This dedication to education ensures that the ancient art of pyrography, particularly its culturally significant forms, continues to thrive and be passed down to future generations.
The new season of Portrait Artist of the Year is available on ABC TV and ABC iview. The Journey Among Men exhibition runs from August 22 to November 22 at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Naarm/Melbourne.
