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Rrugurrgurda (Mud Crabs)

This design tells the story of Elizabeth’s homeland – a dreaming place, a good dreaming place with plentiful mud crabs. Elizabeth’s homeland lies east of Maningrida, at the mouth of Blyth river. This country is known for a large spiritual mud crab, which lives in the area.

Many families go and collect crabs to eat there with long sticks, or collect directly from the shores. Mud crabs hide in the muddy bottoms of estuaries and mangrove forests in areas surrounding Maningrida. After a king tide, a large cyclical tide that bring the crabs out from the mangroves, it is a good time to find crabs.

Rrugurrgurda (mud crabs) is pronounced Ahh-rewg-gurd-gurda in the Burarra language. Rrugurrgurda are good baladji (bush food in Burarra) and can be caught all year round. They are put on the fire to cook and they are ready when they turn a bright orange colour.

Name: Elizabeth Wullunmingu


Language: English, Burarra


Community: Maningrida


Biography:

‘I drew on the inspiration of my mothers designs.’ Elizabeth Wullunmingu 2021

Elizabeth was born in Darwin. She started sewing and designing at Bábbarra in 2010 and is a key member of the sewing team. Elizabeth is well known for her design the “’Mud Crab” Rrugurrgurda, which relates to the ancestral story of large mud crabs in the mangrove near her family homeland on Blyth River.

Elizabeth artistic talent comes from her mother Doris Gingingara who painted textile prints for Desert Designs in the 1980's. Her colourful line work is reflected in Elizabeth own crab design Barnkabarra* (mud crabs) *Kuninjku. Elizabeth designed and sewed outfits for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 


© the artist / art centre