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Art Gallery of WA buys Mark McGowan kebab knit to remind us not to sweater the small stuff

Peter de KruijffThe West Australian
The store version of the kebab jumper which has been purchased by the Art Gallery of WA.
Camera IconThe store version of the kebab jumper which has been purchased by the Art Gallery of WA. Credit: Emma Buswell

A jumper immortalising Mark McGowan’s infamous COVID-19 kebab phrase has been purchased by the Art Gallery of WA to be preserved for future generations.

Textile artist Emma Buswell, 28, had been stood down from her job because of the pandemic and was feeling low when the Premier’s direction on food and jogging rules — “there’s nothing unlawful about going for a run and having a kebab” — lifted her spirits.

Mr McGowan made the comment at a press conference, around the height of WA’s coronavirus fears when daily cases slowly started to drop but anxiety was still prevalent, in response to reporter Josh Dawe’s question if West Australians would be fined for going for a jog and sitting down to eat a kebab as had happened to a man in New South Wales.

The moment was broadcast around Australia and highlighted an unexpected bit of levity amidst world-wide heartache.

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Buswell, who thinks she might be a distant relative of the former Liberal Treasurer but has not seen him at extended family gatherings, was sent a video of the kebab exchange and decided to turn it into her “isolation uniform”.

“I just loved seeing him (Mr McGowan) laugh, and seeing a politician break down in that way was really refreshing given what was going on,” she said.

“I was saying to friends how funny would it be if I made this my uniform.

“It was a bit of a personal joke and then people really liked it.”

Buswell took the phrase and an image of a person running next to a giant kebab and emblazoned them on an avocado green jumper.

She was figuring out how to mass produce 20 more when AGWA took notice of the social media attention around the knitwear.

To her surprise the gallery wanted to purchase the piece, which cost $600 to create in terms of material and time, as well as showcase her other works at tomorrow’s public re-opening of the institution.

“I’ve been quite quiet about my work over the last few years,” Buswell said.

“A lot of my work has been behind the scenes and admin based, so this is actually crazy and super exciting for me, it means hopefully other things will come from it and more people will be able see my work.”

Textile artist Emma Buswell with her piece 'There’s nothing unlawful about going for run and having a kebab'.
Camera IconTextile artist Emma Buswell with her piece 'There’s nothing unlawful about going for run and having a kebab'. Credit: Jessica Wyld Photography

Mr McGowan, whose likeness was recently captured in a stoic Vegemite portrait, was humbled the artistic jumper would be added to the State collection.

“The artist is very kind, I would have never expected my words to be featured in the WA Art Gallery, but we are living in extraordinary times,” he said.

Buswell — who has created intricate knits including a Sydney Swans jumper featuring a portrait of Tony “Plugger” Lockett based on the her nightmares of the football player when she was a child — will have other pieces on display in the gallery including textile re-imaginations of Sidney Nolan’s series of Ned Kelly paintings.

Buswell said she was working towards completing a version of all 26 Nolan paintings on Kelly.

“My grandma was a Kelly, I’m fascinated around that figure and Sidney Nolan as an artist,” she said.

West Australians will soon be able to get their hands on a limited kebab jumper run of 80.

The clothing will feature a few less colours and cost $100 at emmabuswell.bigcartel.com or one “jolly green giant and a blue heeler for postage” according to Buswell.

AGWA is attempting to get Mr McGowan to wear the jumper.

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