Lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters suffered the brunt of online backlash after releasing a rug that looked all-too-familiar to some. The ‘Ollie Reversible Indoor/Outdoor Rug’ seemed to sponge off the distinctive work of Australian Indigenous Pintupi artist Mitjili Napurrula, who passed away in 2019.
The resemblance was revealed by Redditor u/alisonthemomnster, who shared side-by-side visuals of Napurrula’s artwork featuring tree motifs versus Urban Outfitters’ rug priced between US$49 and US$239.
The brand was promptly criticized for “blatant” plagiarism and cultural appropriation.
“Just change it a bit so it doesn’t look so obvious that we copied it,” one internet user mocked. “Increase the font size, maybe make it bold,” another wrote.
Another pointed out, “The basic designs and motifs are part of her culture, [and] she learnt them from her parents and elders. They are, in Western terms, the intellectual property of that group.”
Napurrula, who passed away at the age of 74, regularly used tree motifs to depict the patterns that her mother was fondly remembered to have drawn in the sand. Her creations have been displayed in Australia and overseas.
Soon after being called out, Urban Outfitters withdrew the rug from its online store without a word.