Name: Mary Umagarri Teresa Taylor


Language: Balangarri


Community: Kalumburu


Biography:

Mary was born in Wyndham and grew up in Oombulgurri (Forrest River). She learned painting from the old people by watching their ground paintings and painted for the first time in 2009. Mary moved to Kalumburu in 2005 to be with two of her seven children. Mary is one of the Traditional Owners for the Balanggarra land claim, determined in August 2013. Her bush name is Umagarri (swamp site) and her Oombulgurri Dreamings are Gari-Ali (goanna), Gin-Gun (Barramundi), Dorungi (cat fish) and Malarru (prawn). Mary paints her mother's Country Jinangi (Camera Pool on the Forrest River, northwest of Wyndham) and also the Country of her husband. "The Berkeley River area is my husband's country. We go here for camping out and fishing. Along the river there are large stones and rocks with trees growing out of them. When we have a 'bogey' (shower) we lie down on the flat rocks (tessellated rocks) to dry off."


© the artist / art centre