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Wandjina, longneck turtle ( woolamarra ), jaiya ( fish ) & crocodile (coi coi ).

The Wandjina spirits are highly respected by the Worrora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people who live at Mowanjum and up the Gibb River Road to Kalumburru in the North West Kimberley region of Western Australia.  We believe that the Wandjinas brought the law, culture and language to the people.

The Wandjina is our identity.   The Wandjina gave the Law, Culture and Language to the people to abide by.  These customs are carried on today.

Where you see a lot of Wandjinas they represent the laws of tree, rivers, rocks, bush fruit and animals, all creation.  The Wandjinas give the law on how we have to treat and use these creations

The words Coi Coi are Wororra for saltwater crocodile. In this painting the artist has demonstrated the between the Wandjina and the Saltwater crocodile.“These Woolamarra (long neck turtles) are having a rough time because their waterhole has dried up. The Woolamarra have sung out to the Wandjina to help them find a new waterhole. Two Wandjinas, Datbudder and Djangunardi, have come to show the turtles how to get to the new waterhole

Wandjina is the creator for all the food on the land and in the sea.

He’s the one who give us fish (Jaiya).

 

Name: Gabriella Barunga


Language: Ngarinyin


Community: Mowanjum


Biography:

Gabriella commenced her career as an artist in 1999 at Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre. Gabriella ‘likes to paint every day. Painting is my work and my way of telling a story. I paint the Wandjina from the Wanalirri mob.' Gabriella is a Ngarinyin woman. She grew up with her parents Biddy Ambi and Raphael Dolbyin at Bungarun, the leprosarium 10km's out of Derby. She was also cared for by Jack and Biddy Dale, 'they used to take us bush in the holidays. We went fishing and hunting kangaroos, snakes, turtles, and crocodiles.'

Gabriella has visited the caves where the Wandjinas were first painted. 'I thought- these are my ancestors. It’s amazing.' Gabriella’s first heard about traditional law and ancestral stories through her mother and uncles.

Gabriella confides that Gordon her partner 'helped me paint.' To the question why paint? Gabriella replies that she does 'to keep the culture going, keep it strong, keep it going for the children and grandchildren.'

The exploration of etching is a new medium for Gabriella as she has always been a painter.

 

 

 


© the artist / art centre