Dr Aly de Groot is contemporary fibre artist who has been dedicated to learning, practicing and teaching contemporary basket-making processes for more than 2 decades. Her work is inspired by her empathy for marine life and ecosystems, and the environmental challenges faced today.
Aly is a PhD graduate from Charles Darwin University, having also completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts, and most recently a Graduate Certificate of Creative Therapies. Her practice-led Phd project, titled “Underwater Basket Weaving” explored issues surrounding basketry practices in Australia.
Aly’s work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and other public spaces across Australia and internationally, and her work her been recognized with numerous awards. Aly has three large-scale, woven, bronze public artworks located at a number of coastal sites on Larrakia Country in her hometown of Garamilla (Darwin).
In 2023, Aly was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel to Europe and the UK to investigate endangered basketry practices and avenues being taken to preserve this knowledge.