Yawkyawk is a word from the Aboriginal Kunwinjku language, meaning ‘young woman’ and ‘young woman spirit being’.
Sometimes compared to the European notion of mermaids, yawkyawks are usually depicted with the tails of fish. They have long hair, associated with trailing blooms of algae, typically found in Arnhem Land streams and rock pools.
A new design by Lucy celebrating her love of eating mudcrab.
Mududu is mudcrab in the Gurgoni language.
‘I feel good waking up in the morning, knowing I am going to Bábbarra. After work I go home and talk about my printing with all my family, and then I dream about it too. I am always thinking about my designs. They make me feel so proud.” – Lucy Yarawanga.
A new design by Lucy celebrating her love of eating mudcrab.
Mududu is mudcrab in the Gurgoni language.
‘I feel good waking up in the morning, knowing I am going to Bábbarra. After work I go home and talk about my printing with all my family, and then I dream about it too. I am always thinking about my designs. They make me feel so proud.” – Lucy Yarawanga.
‘I always follow the footpath of my grandmother. I have too many stories of my grandmother. We went to the bush and ate bushtucker like yam, yabbie, barra, catfish and magpie goose. We didn’t come into town often, we were staying at Barrihdjowkkeng outstation. I learned how the old people used to live. I always think about my family out there and I keep going. My grandmother asked me to work with her for many years. I watched her making lino and screen printing. That’s why I stay in this job and I’m for the women’s centre’. Roseanna Bonson 2021
Roseanna’s first design is a 2 colour waterlily design. Wayuk (waterlily) *kuninjki grow in the swamps around Barrihdjowkkeng.
‘The flowers of the waterlily are white and yellow and I like that kind of colour.’ Roseanna Bonson 2021
‘My Kikka (mother), when she was alive, she would tell me these stories. I was just a little girl and she would tell us the stories in her language Gurrgoni.
In the camps there were boy and girl Bawaliba, and old Bawaliba too. They loved to dance by the firelight, keeping rhythm with a stick. They had lots of hair, they were really tall and skinny, with spots on their bodies. The Bawaliba lived a long time in peace. They were the only spirits on their country and so they were never disturbed.
One day, a long time ago, the Bawaliba were out hunting and they saw a large snake- they didn’t know then but she was the Rainbow Serpent. They were really scared, they had never seen that. creature before. She was really beautiful- like a normal king brown snake but with a rainbow from the sky on her back. The rainbow serpent was really hungry, and she could smell the Bawaliba from a long way away. She was out looking for food. The Bawaliba tried to stop Ngalyod coming for them but she was just too quick. She snuck up behind the Bawaliba and before they could get away she ate them up. When she was really full and couldn’t eat anymore Bawaliba she changed the rest of them into stone. Still til this day, the Bawaliba stay on that same country as stones.’ Lucy Yarawanga
This is an artwork about a dancing Mimih. It’s based on a song line from Korlobididah. My fathers eldest brother used to sing this song line and Unkle Dennis he was a dancer. My real father, Jacky was a dancer as well and he was from Korlobididah.
Deborah is currently living and working on her partners Outstation of Kakodbebuldi, Arnhem Land. In this design she details some of the fresh water fish that live in the billabong near her house.
Mankotbe (bush onion) grows under the ground, we follow the vine to dig it up. It is brown on the outside and white inside and we cook it on the fire, just like a potato. All the old people used to eat Mankotbe on my homeland. My grandmother showed me how to find that plant and the first time I ate so much my mouth got sore! You can’t be too greedy.
This design brings back good memories for me. I used to eat Mankotbe when I was young and living at my homeland Buluhkaduru. In those old times, my house was made of paper bark and sticks. If we wanted to come into town we had to walk, and it’s a long walk, so we would fill our dilly bags with sugar bag honey, Mankotbe and long yams to eat on the way. They were good times for me.
You can find Mankotbe any time of the year- the plant has big black leaves. When you find one onion, you know there is big mob around- they are always connected by a big long vine underground
Mankotbe (bush onion) grows under the ground, we follow the vine to dig it up. It is brown on the outside and white inside and we cook it on the fire, just like a potato. All the old people used to eat Mankotbe on my homeland. My grandmother showed me how to find that plant and the first time I ate so much my mouth got sore! You can’t be too greedy.
This design brings back good memories for me. I used to eat Mankotbe when I was young and living at my homeland Buluhkaduru. In those old times, my house was made of paper bark and sticks. If we wanted to come into town we had to walk, and it’s a long walk, so we would fill our dilly bags with sugar bag honey, Mankotbe and long yams to eat on the way. They were good times for me.
You can find Mankotbe any time of the year- the plant has big black leaves. When you find one onion, you know there is big mob around- they are always connected by a big long vine underground
