In a retail world often dominated by fleeting trends and greenwashed gestures, Woolworths Australia has quietly cultivated something more enduring: a platform where sustainability meets storytelling. Its Art Bag series—now in its second edition—has become a canvas for First Nations creativity, beginning with Warumungu, Wombaya artist Jessica Johnson, and continuing with Gudanji/Wakaja artist Ryhia Dank.
Jessica Johnson’s Nungala Creative
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| Image: Woolworths x Nungala Creative art bag | good-design.org |
Launched in 2023, the inaugural Art Bag collection was designed by Jessica Johnson, founder of the First Nations-owned creative agency Nungala Creative. Her three works—“Fresh As,” “Journey Lines,” and “Landtracks”—celebrated the joy of food and its deep connection to Country. With bold colors and rhythmic linework, Johnson’s designs transformed everyday shopping into a cultural experience.
Her bags didn’t just carry groceries; they carried memory, movement, and meaning. The collaboration also marked Woolworths’ partnership with the Yothu Yindi Foundation, supporting Yolngu students in Northeast Arnhem Land with an initial $100,000 donation.
Ryhia Dank’s Storywork: A New Chapter
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| Image: Designer Ryhia Dank | marketingmag.com.au |
Building on that foundation, Woolworths’ latest Art Bag release features five designs by Ryhia Dank, whose practice Nardurna—meaning “woman” in Gudanji—centres on visual storytelling. Her works, including “Grateful,” “Baji,” “Juwarda,” “Yandu,” and “Home,” explore themes of bush foods, fire gatherings, and the emotional resonance of Country.
Dank’s art is both contemporary and ancestral, merging graphic precision with cultural depth. “Art is about connection and passing down stories,” she says. “I feel like I’ve shared it through these bags, and that means so much to me.” Her designs invite shoppers to carry more than produce—they carry heritage.
Design with Purpose
Both editions of the Art Bag are made with at least 70–90% recycled materials, offering dual strap lengths for versatility and priced at just $2. They’re functional, beautiful, and accessible—proof that sustainability doesn’t have to sacrifice style or soul.
Each purchase also contributes to community support, with 20 cents per bag going to charities via the Woolworths Group Foundation. It’s a model that blends commerce with care, and design with dignity.
Retail as Cultural Platform
What makes this initiative remarkable is its reach. With over 2,000 stores nationwide, Woolworths has turned its reusable bags into one of the most visible platforms for First Nations art in Australia. These aren’t limited-edition gallery pieces—they’re democratic, everyday expressions of identity and respect.
The expansion into BIG W stores further amplifies their impact, bringing Indigenous storytelling into homes and hands that might never encounter it otherwise. It’s a quiet revolution in how art is shared, worn, and lived.
From Jessica Johnson’s joyful “food dance” to Ryhia Dank’s meditative landscapes, Woolworths’ Art Bags are more than sustainable accessories—they’re cultural carriers. They remind us that beauty can be functional, and that storytelling can be part of our daily rituals.
In a world of disposability, these bags offer continuity. They connect shoppers to Country, to community, and creativity. And in doing so, they prove that even the simplest object—a shopping bag—can hold extraordinary meaning.
And a great addition to our next fashion fits.
@blair.villanueva I collect designer bags 🎒😌 @nardurna and #nungalacreative with @woolworths_au #bag#designerbags#woolies#fashiontiktok#fashiongirl#shopping♬ original sound - Blair Villanueva
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