July 2025

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An-gujechiya (fishtrap)

An-gujechiya is the word for fish trap in the Burarra language, which is one of the languages that continue to be spoken in the Djelk Indigenous Protected Region. Wullunmingu’s childhood home in Gupanga, Arnhem Land, is a saltwater estuary that is a great place for collecting crabs and edible shellfish such as the delicacy mud mussel.

In the early wet season, fish swim upstream to breed in creeks and billabongs, then downstream to spend the dry season in larger rivers. An-gujechiya (fish trap) 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 inside 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.

Wullunmingu’s eye for detail runs in her family. Her mother, Doris Gingingara, was an illustrator for the iconic Desert Designs label in the 1980s. In addition to designing outfits for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Wullunmingu’s work has been featured in high-profile fashion and homeware licensing collaborations, including with Kip&Co x Bábbarra in 2020 and a stunning collaboration with ethical milliner, Helen Kaminski 2024.

 

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Murnun (dugong)

This design is murnun (dugong). Josephine grew up on the coastal area of Maningrida. She is a Kunibidji woman, a Gurgoni and Ndjébbana language speaker. 

‘In the olden times they used to go on canoe to look for murnun (dungong), fish (yokkara) ,turtle (makéddja) and stingray (marnan djupa (sp?)). They used a spear and net during the day and sometimes at night. The fishermen were mostly men. I remember my grandfather used to go hunting, that’s Joy’s (Garlbin)  father. HIs name was Jimmy. We used to go out with him on the boat to kill makéddja (turtle) and murnun (dugong) for yalaba (bush tucker). 

 

 

 

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Murnun (dugong)

This design is murnun (dugong). Josephine grew up on the coastal area of Maningrida. She is a Kunibidji woman, a Gurgoni and Ndjébbana language speaker. 

‘In the olden times they used to go on canoe to look for murnun (dungong), fish (yokkara) ,turtle (makéddja) and stingray (marnan djupa (sp?)). They used a spear and net during the day and sometimes at night. The fishermen were mostly men. I remember my grandfather used to go hunting, that’s Joy’s (Garlbin)  father. HIs name was Jimmy. We used to go out with him on the boat to kill makéddja (turtle) and murnun (dugong) for yalaba (bush tucker). 

 

 

 

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Djomi (Fresh Water Spirit)

This design depicts the story of the artist’s ancestral dreaming, the Djómi (Fresh Water Spirit).

The Djómi figure is a mermaid-like spirit with fish tail that lives in the freshwater stream that flows out to the sea cliff near Maningrida. Djómi is known to be a very powerful fertility symbol.

“If you go there, you can get pregnant easily. Djómi has babies, and they can give other babies too. The Djómi spirit is so powerful, that women can end up with multiple babies at once, twins or sometimes even more. The Djómi spirits lay eggs near the sacred freshwater stream in Maningrida. Inside the eggs are human babies as well as young Djómi. Men do not go near that swamp, because Djomi is so powerful that men might get pregnant there too. So men are too scared of that Djómi. When we visit the Djómi freshwater spring, we can hear young Djómi  crying. They sound like normal babies crying, those Djómi spirits. They are looking for a mother. This Djómi is my dreaming, I got permission from my djungkay (ritual manager) to paint this Djómi design. For me I always ask my djunguy permission to paint, because that is our cultural way. This design also depicts the freshwater lily leaves and seaweed from the base of the sea floor.” Joy Galrbin

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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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Djomi (Fresh Water Spirit)

This design depicts the story of the artist’s ancestral dreaming, the Djómi (Fresh Water Spirit).

The Djómi figure is a mermaid-like spirit with fish tail that lives in the freshwater stream that flows out to the sea cliff near Maningrida. Djómi is known to be a very powerful fertility symbol.

“If you go there, you can get pregnant easily. Djómi has babies, and they can give other babies too. The Djómi spirit is so powerful, that women can end up with multiple babies at once, twins or sometimes even more. The Djómi spirits lay eggs near the sacred freshwater stream in Maningrida. Inside the eggs are human babies as well as young Djómi. Men do not go near that swamp, because Djomi is so powerful that men might get pregnant there too. So men are too scared of that Djómi. When we visit the Djómi freshwater spring, we can hear young Djómi  crying. They sound like normal babies crying, those Djómi spirits. They are looking for a mother. This Djómi is my dreaming, I got permission from my djungkay (ritual manager) to paint this Djómi design. For me I always ask my djunguy permission to paint, because that is our cultural way. This design also depicts the freshwater lily leaves and seaweed from the base of the sea floor.” Joy Galrbin