Baskets, Mats and Catfish
This single screen print was designed in 2003 by artist Kate Miwulku (dec).
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Yindili
My painting is about the Yindili, kingfisher. There are a lot of kingfishers in Wujal Wujal.
I was born in Katherine in the Northern Territory. I grew up in Darwin and spent time in Milingimbi. I decided to move to Wujal Wujal in 2022 to spend time with my father’s family.
When i was working as a ranger I learnt how make handmade string, weaving techniques, bush foods and medicines and how to look after country.
I also learn how to weave by my mother. She taught me how to make baskets from pandanus using the coiling technique.
I’ve been mostly a weaver but now trying painting. We might have a go at weaving in Wujal Wujal.
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Bawáliba and Bush Flower
This new design from workshops held in 2022 depicting Bawáliba (stone country mimihs) and dilly bags against a background of loosely placed bush flowers. Lucy has depicted her Bawáliba with werrkno (skin) textures.
‘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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Au-gujechiya (fishtrap) Screen Print
TITLE Au-gujechiya
YEAR 2022
MEDIUM Screen print
DETAILS 2 screen
Au-gujechiya means fishtrap in the Burrarra language which is one of the traditional languages spoken in the Maningrida region. Elizabeth’s homeland is Gupanga, Arnhem Land which located on a saltwater estuary, a great place for catching fish.
Elizabeth obtained permission from her djunkay to create a screen print design about a historic object traditionally used to trap fish in rivers, creeks, and estuaries.
In the early wet season, fish swim upstream for breeding in creeks and billabongs, then downstream to spend the dry season in larger rivers. The traps would be set to face the oncoming fish, with woven fencing either side. Within the mouth of the trap is a woven funnel that guides the fish in and prevents their escape. The clever design ensures that only adult fish are caught as smaller fish can escape through the weaving or even through the funnel. The fish that are caught can survive in the trap for up to two months. Once the trap is removed, the end is untied to remove the fish. This sustainable design means the trap can be used again and again.
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Marrin (honey dilly bag)
Marriṉ are made from gunga (Pandanus spiralis), baḻgurr (kurrajong) and natural bush dyes. The body of the marriṉ is made from gunga, and the handles from baḻgurr. Once the gunga fronds and baḻgurr bark have been collected, they are stripped and prepared then boiled with the dyes. In the old times, the interior was lined with beeswax to make them leak-proof.
Marriṉ were used for collecting guku (honey). Traditionally, the baḻgurr handles were worn across the forehead while the body of the marriṉ sat at the back, between the shoulder blades making it easily accessible when collecting guku (honey).
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Kukurlk Kare (Going Underground)
Karrinung kukurlk kare, karrijare manme (we are going underground looking for food).
“This is my country. In this painting, I’m looking at her little bit different way. This is what we see when we’re kukurlk kare (going underground)
Man-kurndalh (Black plum) I call mother. It is my mother’s Djang/Dreaming. The bush onion (kulumuduk) is white, the same as onions you buy at the store. We don’t eat this one though, it’s poison.
Wayuk is the water lily, with the big root growing in the earth. This is when that water is drying up a bit. There are worms and beetles- this is what we see underground, when we are digging for manme.”
-Jennifer Wurrkidj
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Au-gujechiya (fishtrap) Screen Print
TITLE Au-gujechiya
YEAR 2022
MEDIUM Screen print
DETAILS 2 screen
Au-gujechiya means fishtrap in the Burrarra language which is one of the traditional languages spoken in the Maningrida region. Elizabeth’s homeland is Gupanga, Arnhem Land which located on a saltwater estuary, a great place for catching fish.
Elizabeth obtained permission from her djunkay to create a screen print design about a historic object traditionally used to trap fish in rivers, creeks, and estuaries.
In the early wet season, fish swim upstream for breeding in creeks and billabongs, then downstream to spend the dry season in larger rivers. The traps would be set to face the oncoming fish, with woven fencing either side. Within the mouth of the trap is a woven funnel that guides the fish in and prevents their escape. The clever design ensures that only adult fish are caught as smaller fish can escape through the weaving or even through the funnel. The fish that are caught can survive in the trap for up to two months. Once the trap is removed, the end is untied to remove the fish. This sustainable design means the trap can be used again and again.
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Kukurlk Kare (Going Underground)
Karrinung kukurlk kare, karrijare manme (we are going underground looking for food).
“This is my country. In this painting, I’m looking at her little bit different way. This is what we see when we’re kukurlk kare (going underground)
Man-kurndalh (Black plum) I call mother. It is my mother’s Djang/Dreaming. The bush onion (kulumuduk) is white, the same as onions you buy at the store. We don’t eat this one though, it’s poison.
Wayuk is the water lily, with the big root growing in the earth. This is when that water is drying up a bit. There are worms and beetles- this is what we see underground, when we are digging for manme.”
-Jennifer Wurrkidj
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Kukurlk Kare (Going Underground)
Karrinung kukurlk kare, karrijare manme (we are going underground looking for food).
“This is my country. In this painting, I’m looking at her little bit different way. This is what we see when we’re kukurlk kare (going underground)
Man-kurndalh (Black plum) I call mother. It is my mother’s Djang/Dreaming. The bush onion (kulumuduk) is white, the same as onions you buy at the store. We don’t eat this one though, it’s poison.
Wayuk is the water lily, with the big root growing in the earth. This is when that water is drying up a bit. There are worms and beetles- this is what we see underground, when we are digging for manme.”
-Jennifer Wurrkidj
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Kababina & Kunjuri
I am a Nyungul woman. My art depicts cultural, historical and contemporary stories from my bubu (Country) located in the Helensvale and Shipton’s Flat areas in Far North Queensland.
I wanted to paint one of the many lagoons from my Country. A kunjuri (shield) shape represents the lagoon and I have then painted my water lilies floating in the water. This lagoon has lots of long-neck turtles. The spaces between the kababina represent the turtles pushing aside the plants and making corridors as they swim through the water.
There are many species of kababina (water lilies) that grow in the lagoons and wetlands on my bubu (Country). There are lots of different colours, big and small ones.
My father told me that in the old days bama (people) would harvest the water lilies for food. I love going out bush with my family and enjoy looking at the wetlands, plants and animals.
Nature is the inspiration for my artwork. Anne Nunn