The Kingfisher, known as Yindili in Kuku Yalanji language, is according to our culture one of the significant messenger birds. The Kingfisher will let us know when to expect a visit from families living in another community, And when we see a Kingfisher close by, we know that something good will soon happen in our personal life.
The carpet snake used to be an important food animal for our ancestors. They wrapped the meat in native ginger leaves and cooked it on the hot coals of the ground oven. They also used the skin to make head bands or skillfully sewed blankets to keep the families warm and dry at night.
The carpet snake also has spiritual significance for me. I inherited the carpet snake Totem and related cultural knowledge from my father’s side. According to our Kuku Yalanji creation stories, the carpet snake was an Ancestral Being that travelled in its human form across the country creating waterways wherever it went, including on my father’s clan lands.
In my upbringing I was taught to respect our elders who prepared me for my future role as carrier of cultural knowledge and spiritual traditions. I was also taught the values of taking responsibility for caring for our traditional clan country and help maintain it for the younger generations so they can become strong leaders.
Art is my way of keeping the cultural knowledge of my ancestors alive and passing it down to my children and grandchildren. Sharing this body of knowledge creates strong family ties and gives me my strength.
This fabric was created using the linocut fabric printing technique, which has been refined at Bábbarra Women’s Centre since it was introduced in the early mid 1990’s
The Lino tile is carved by the artist at Bábbarra Designs. It is printed on fabric by hand using a variety of colours and layers. The linocut technique ensures each textile is a one-off, limited edition piece.
The fabric is colour-safe and can be thrown into a washing machine. Repeated use will soften the fabric and some fading will occur over time.
Bábbarra Women’s Centre supports the economic independence of Indigenous women in the Arnhem Land community of Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia. Designs created by the women at Bábbarra reflect strong cultural knowledge, which is passed down to younger generations through their textile design practice.
‘Themes in our artwork almost exclusively come from our Country and cultural connection. Our deep relationship with the land and seas of our customary clan estates strongly defines and governs the social, cultural, spiritual and territorial aspects of our lives.’
Bábbarra Designs Artist Statement
Birmba (White Cockatoo) is my family totem. It has been passed down from generation to generation. They always remind me of my grandfather, my sister and other family members who have passed on. White Cockatoos are like protective spirits for me and my family. They will give you signs. Good signs and signs of danger. They will let you know when to move on.
When I’m out with my grandchildren and there is a white cockatoo, I might say, “that is your grandmother, my sister who is watching us”.
At other times, the spirits of other family members visit us in form of white cockatoos. The White Cockatoo keeps our living and past family connected to each other and to our country. When I’m alone, I know they are around. I speak to their spirit and they give me strength.
Traditionally men hunted Dijarr (Jungle Perch), they used berries to attract the fish to the surface and caught them either with a line or with traps made from lawyer vine.
Birmba (White Cockatoo) is my family totem. It has been passed down from generation to generation. They always remind me of my grandfather, my sister and other family members who have passed on. White Cockatoos are like protective spirits for me and my family. They will give you signs. Good signs and signs of danger. They will let you know when to move on.
When I’m out with my grandchildren and there is a white cockatoo, I might say, “that is your grandmother, my sister who is watching us”.
At other times, the spirits of other family members visit us in form of white cockatoos. The White Cockatoo keeps our living and past family connected to each other and to our country. When I’m alone, I know they are around. I speak to their spirit and they give me strength.
This work depicts the remarkably diverse flora found through Martu Country. These plants are not only vital as significant food sources, but also celebrated for their aesthetic splendour. In the context of the often harsh and arid environments in which desert flowers bloom, their vibrancy, delicacy, and variation become even more spectacular.
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.
This fabric was created using the linocut fabric printing technique, which has been refined at Bábbarra Women’s Centre since it was introduced in the early mid 1990’s
The Lino tile is carved by the artist at Bábbarra Designs. It is printed on fabric by hand using a variety of colours and layers. The linocut technique ensures each textile is a one-off, limited edition piece.
The fabric is colour-safe and can be thrown into a washing machine. Repeated use will soften the fabric and some fading will occur over time.
Bábbarra Women’s Centre supports the economic independence of Indigenous women in the Arnhem Land community of Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia. Designs created by the women at Bábbarra reflect strong cultural knowledge, which is passed down to younger generations through their textile design practice.
‘Themes in our artwork almost exclusively come from our Country and cultural connection. Our deep relationship with the land and seas of our customary clan estates strongly defines and governs the social, cultural, spiritual and territorial aspects of our lives.’
Bábbarra Designs Artist Statement