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Manbirrbbirr (small bush flowers)

n Kuninjku the name manbirrbbirr is used for a number of densely flowering shrubs and small trees including Verticordia cunninghamii, yellow flowering Austromyrtus species and also Acacia platycarpa which also has dense white. This design is a patchwork of small Lino tiles representing various flowers in Arnhem Land. Abigail has incorporated the designs of her late mother. The cloth was hand dyed by Abigail’s aunt Deborah Wurrkidj. The striking yellow – orange hue comes from the root of the man-kurdudjumuk plant (coelospermum reticulatum) which has been harvested from the sandy country near the flood plains. This laborious and tiring process requires digging up the entire shrub. The root is shaven into a pot of water and the colour is released into water through the boiling process. Ashes have been added to soften the yellow into more of a peach orange tone.

Categories: Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation

Name: Abigail Gurawiliwili Namundja

Language: Ndjébbana, Kune, Kuninjku

Community: Maningrida

Biography:

Abigail has been an artist with Bábbarra Designs since 2012 and joined the Arts Worker team in 2023. She comes from a strong lineage of talented artists, including her mother, the late Jennifer Wurrkidj, and her grandmother, the late Helen Lanyinwanga. Three generations of women from Abigail’s family have worked together at the Bábbarra Women’s Centre, sharing knowledge and creating new designs. Abigail often prints linocuts from her family’s collection, carrying forward the memory and legacy of the women who came before her.

Abigail's totems are Gungura (spiral wind), Kunwardde (stone country rocks), Yawkyawk (young woman spirit), and Kandji (Jabiru). She also honors her mother's dreaming, Ngalyod (rainbow serpent), in her work. Abigail loves to celebrate the wildflowers of Arnhem Land in her designs.

Abigail’s Lino print fabrics are distinguished by her expert use of color, often incorporating ombré or rainbow effects that enhance the depth and vibrancy of her textile designs.

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