Disappearing
A collection of small works created by Kaiela Arts artists during a series of workshops. Artists have used Posca pens and acrylic paint to create colourful designs that represent Country, traditions and culture.
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Gumang (Magpie Geese)
The Yolngu people of Arnhem Land originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘Spiritual Reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (Creative Beings) long ago close to the beginning of time.
The creator beings moved across the country side, shaping the land and implanting in each tract of country, the spiritual life force for the people who were to own it. These Creative Spirits took many forms. When they gave the land to each group they also gave songs, dances, ceremony, the associated laws and language. The Creation story for Ganalbingu people took place near the middle section of the Glyde River where it becomes the Goyder River. Their land, Ngaliyindi, sits astride the Arafura Swamp in Central Arnhem Land.
In this painting, the artist has depicted Gumang (magpie geese), which are sacred to the Ganalbingu people. To the east of the Arafura Swamp is a freshwater billabong which is said to have been made by the Goose Spirit and is in the shape of a goose nest. As a result, geese, their eggs and their nests are sacred.
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Wagilag Hunting Story
The Wagilag Sisters are central to the four important ceremonies of the Dhuwa moiety; the Djungguwan, the Gunabibi, the Ngulmarrk, and the Mandaialla.
The story is primarily an account of how, in the distant past, the two Wagilag Sisters came out of the southern interior and across the countryside to the Liyagalawumirr waterhole at Mirarrmina.
This painting is where the two sisters came along and get all the tools for hunting. They got ritjano and Damilipa (Blue Tongue Lizard). Ritjano is similar to a carrot, and grows abundantly in North East Arnhem Land. The vegetable is a staple food in traditional Yolngu culture, and has been a reliable food source when other foods are scarce. The ladies will collect and roast the ritjano, which has a very sweet flavour.
The sisters put all the bush food into their dilly bags.
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Wayuk
‘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
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Barnkabarra (Mud Crabs)
This design tells the story of Elizabeth’s homeland – a dreaming place, a good dreaming place with plenty of Barnkabarra (Mud Crabs). Elizabeth’s homeland lies east of Maningrida, at the mouth of Blyth river. This country is known for a large spiritual mud crab, which lives in the area.
Many families go and collect crabs to eat there with long sticks, or collect directly from the shores. Mud crabs hide in the muddy bottoms of estuaries and mangrove forests in areas surrounding Maningrida. After a king tide, a large cyclical tide which bring the crabs out from the mangroves, it is a good time to find crabs.
Barnkabarra (mud crabs) in Kuninjku language, or Rrugurrgurda (mud crabs) in the Burarra language, are good baladji (bush food in Burarra) and can be caught all year round. They are put on the fire to cook and they are ready when they turn a bright orange colour.
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Gum Leaves
A collection of small works created by Kaiela Arts artists during a series of workshops. Artists have used Posca pens and acrylic paint to create colourful designs that represent Country, traditions and culture.
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Lorrkkon
Marilyn’s first screen print design depicts the story of lorrkkon (hollow funeral logs). This the story of her great, great grandfather and grandmother who were bark painters, as well as also sacred lorrkkon painters.
When designing this screen print, Marilyn was remembering her childhood living in a small house on Liverpool river Ngar-wunja (Thompson hole) with other families.
Through the painting process, Marilyn remembered and relived the times when people still lived permanently on remote homelands, living off the land before balanda (non-indigenous people) arrived.
Marilyn recalls “it makes me think back, we did lots of things, some people was hunting, some was weaving, some was painting barks and lorrkkon. As my great, great grandfather and grandmother was painters, I painted this my story for them.”
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Lorrkkon
Marilyn’s first screen print design depicts the story of lorrkkon (hollow funeral logs). This the story of her great, great grandfather and grandmother who were bark painters, as well as also sacred lorrkkon painters.
When designing this screen print, Marilyn was remembering her childhood living in a small house on Liverpool river Ngar-wunja (Thompson hole) with other families.
Through the painting process, Marilyn remembered and relived the times when people still lived permanently on remote homelands, living off the land before balanda (non-indigenous people) arrived.
Marilyn recalls “it makes me think back, we did lots of things, some people was hunting, some was weaving, some was painting barks and lorrkkon. As my great, great grandfather and grandmother was painters, I painted this my story for them.”
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Bawáliba (Stone Country Mimih)
‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair.
In olden times, long long long time ago Bawáliba were here, before people were on the land. Bawáliba used to go out hunting and care for country. They hunt carrying fish traps and digging sticks, near the homeland Djinkarr. They go out hunting on the floodplains with dilly bags and digging sticks. They collect a lot of bush foods, and sleep together with one bark shelter.
Sometimes now they still come alive when we sleep, they might come to our houses and peep through the window. At night, they cover themselves with white clay and red cloth tied around their waist. If we hear them, we jump out of bed and get up to look -but they have disappeared, they’re just too quick. Bawáliba might knock on the window to remind us they are there looking out for us.If you listen deeply you can hear them whisper, sometimes they talk about us and might say, ‘why are those people making camp here?’ then they realise ‘Oh they are family from here, it’s ok, they are just sleeping here for the night’.
During the day they always turn into stone and they sleep. We still know that green rock covered in moss near Djinkarr, that’s Bawáliba sleeping.
Some of my ancestors used to speak the same language as the Bawaliba, but all those old people are passed away now. It’s a little bit sad for us, because no one now can speak that Bawaliba language anymore.’ Lucy Yarawanga 2019
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Bush Jewellery – Earrings
The women of Maningrida and surrounding homelands use a combination of locally found seeds, bone and shells to make a variety of jewellery including necklaces. earrings and bracelets. Many of the artists use complex patterns and designs to make their beautiful creations.