July 2025

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Marebu (Floor Mat)

Deborah Wurrkidj is a Kuninjku artist from the Kurulk clan.

Wurrkidj’ country lies around the outstation of Mumeka in central Arnhem Land. She is an accomplished artist working across mediums including painting, sculpture, weaving and textile design. In her later years, Deborah has focused her efforts on mentoring her niece, Temika Namundja.

Works in fibre from the Maningrida region are widely recognised as some of the finest in Australia. Artists confidently push the boundaries of fibre craft and cultural expression, adapting traditional techniques and forms to produce strikingly inventive and aesthetically exquisite artworks.

Artists weave many different kinds of mats. Conical mats were traditionally used to shield babies from mosquitoes. Long flat mats were used for blocking creeks so that fish would be diverted into fish traps. A small triangular mat made of pandanus fibre used to be worn by women during ceremonial gatherings, tied around their back and covering them at the front. Mats are also used for wrapping and rinsing food in water.

Artists usually use kundayarr, pandanus spiralis, to weave decorative round or oblong mats, as well as the less common triangular and conical shapes. Weaving is physically hard work, now done only by women. They colour the pandanus using natural dyes made from the roots, leaves or flowers of plants within the weaver’s clan estate.

The radial woven patterns of the finest round mats appear to vibrate with colour, sometimes regarded as an aesthetic manifestation of deep cultural meaning, as there is a significant spiritual dimension to pandanus mats.

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Mandudjmi (green plum)

*Green Plum – 

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Yawkyawk (young woman spirit) – Major Work

Yawkyawk swim underneath the rock. They always stay there. When the sun comes out they come out from underneath the river, make themselves warm. They sit and they look around. When they sit, they cry to themselves. Ngaldjorlhbo (mother of everything) she created them. Yawkyawk and the other one [Ngalng] (freshwater crayfish).

The Mimih one is a long way from the Stone Country. He is from my uncles country Barrihdjowkkeng. My uncle is the famous artist Crusoe Kurddal and he carves and paints Mimih.  

Sometimes Yawkyawk sit inside the rock. Sometimes they go out to find the manme (food) and the mankung (sugarbag). Also they can sing inside the rock cave. Sometimes Yawkyawk will see the big rain. When the big rain comes they start looking and when the rain comes they go inside and hide themselves. Some Yawkyawk stay on the dry land in a special place inland from Barrihdjowkkeng. Some of the stones get stuck on the breasts of the Yawkyawk.

In my fabric they are all coming together with the grass trees and leaves and the blowing wind. Some of the leaves will fall onto the water. All the round shapes are kunred (rocky country) with dry grass.

– Janet Kalidjan Marawarr