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Djomi (Water Spirit

A piece of red cotton printed with opulent layers of pink, black, and turquoise ink. This fabric was created using the linocut printing technique. The lino tile has been hand drawn and carved by the artist in Maningrida, and has been printed by hand using a variety of colours and layers. The linocut technique ensures each textile piece is a one-off, limited edition piece. Joy depicts the story of her ancestral dreaming the Djomi in her textile work, with permission from her djunguys (cultural caretaker) she’s able to tell her story through her design. The Djomi dreaming is described to be a long lady spirit with fish like tales that comes from a water stream that flows out to the sea cliff of Maningrida. It is a known to be a women fertile water stream. ‘This Djomi is my dreaming, I got permission by djunguys to design Djomi, to tell my story of my dreaming, for me always ask my djunguys first to put design. If you go there you can get pregnant, Djomi has babies, you can have babies.” – Joy Garlbin

Categories: Babbarra Women’s Centre

Name: Joy Garlbin

Community: Maningrida

Biography:

Joy is an integral member of the Bábbarra Women’s Centre and traditional owner of Maningrida.

She has been around since the early years of Bábbarra Women’s Centre. Joy is a textile artist and also a highly regarded bark painter, creator of mimi spirits, as well as weaver of pandanus fibre.

Joy depicts the story of her ancestral dreaming the Djomi in her textile work, with permission from her djunguys. Joy is from the Kunibidji language group of Arnhem Land. Ndjébbana is one of the least commonly spoken languages in Arnhem Land, and is the language of the traditional owners of Maningrida.

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