Historical information

Ann Greenwood is an Australian textile artist renowned for her innovative use of weaving, felt, and natural fibres. Based in Gippsland, Victoria, she has developed a distinctive practice that merges traditional textile techniques with contemporary art. Greenwood’s work often incorporates hand-spun wool, plant dyes, and materials sourced from her immediate environment, reflecting her deep connection to nature and sustainability. Over five decades, her practice has encompassed sculpture, installation, and performance, expanding the boundaries of textile art.

In Three Mamacunas, Greenwood draws on the legacy of the Inca Empire, where Mamacunas were women who served in temples as priestesses, weavers, and caretakers of sacred rituals. Their roles embodied creativity, devotion, and cultural continuity. Today, the term is reinterpreted in contemporary art and writing as a symbol of women’s strength, wisdom, and custodianship of tradition, linking ancestral practices with present-day explorations of identity and resilience.