Wagait

Distinguished and Famous people from Wagait

👗 Carmel Ryan

Carmel Ryan turned materials gathered around her Wagait Beach home into nationally recognised wearable art. Her 2023 Australian Wearable Art Festival finalist piece used natural and reused materials, hand stitching and homemade flour-and-water glue. Even the base came from a recycled chair. The aim was a garment able eventually to decompose, while remaining comfortable enough for a model to wear for hours. Ryan learned sewing as a child from her dressmaker mother and later won prizes at Wearable Art Mandurah. The beach and backyard became a supply cupboard for an imaginative approach to fashion and waste.

🎨 Nena Zanos

Nena Zanos has contributed to Wagait Arts Group since its establishment in 2013, serving on successive committees in several roles. The group formally thanked her for that sustained work at its 2024 annual meeting. She also took part in a Wagait Beach printmaking project exploring significant plants with artists from different cultural backgrounds. The resulting exhibition brought artworks together with stories and video about the knowledge and personal connections behind the chosen plants. Her contribution spans making art and the less visible organising that gives other local artists opportunities to participate.