377815582417543

Published by on

Nyangumarta Warrarn (Country)

“This painting represents the rocky outcrop and all the different areas of claypans, and the dark area represents all the jurnga (sands) in the cool time, warri. All the light yellowish colour represents the paru (spinifex).

I like to go out working with the rangers and all the elders. I go out Country with them and they show me all the places, all mapped out with GPS. We mark out all the other places for next time. Sometimes I go out in the ranger’s vehicle and walk around the Country and look around for goanna holes. We try to keep an eye on the animals, look out for all the bilby and skinks and everything with the Nyangumarta Rangers. I go in my spare time because I’m busy you know, I’m busy with my artwork and council meetings.

In the cool dry time, when it’s a little bit warm and cool in the morning, that’s when we do the fire patch burning. When we doing it also depends on the wind, the warngal, which way it’s blowing. We do that because it’s a big part of controlled fires. Wild fires, we don’t want them, they destroy the animals and their living area, destroy the Country. We do it too for the regrowth. When I went back to Country a couple of weeks ago, all the burned up area had a little bit of regrowth after a little bit of rain.”
 – Edward Badal

This artwork honours Nyangumarta Country — from the long sweep of Eighty Mile Beach and coastal flats to the rolling sand dunes and salt lakes of the Great Sandy Desert. It holds the movement between saltwater and desert: tides, reefs and mangroves to the west; dunes, claypans and waterholes to the east.

Lines flow like wind across spinifex and waves in the ocean; dots gather where waters sit after rain; colours shift from deep blues to desert reds and whites of saltpan. The painting also reflects the ongoing work of Nyangumarta families and rangers to look after Country — sea and land — guided by community plans and Indigenous Protected Area management.

Categories: Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community LaGrange Inc

Name: Edward Badal

Language: Nyangamarta

Community: Bidyadanga

Biography:

“I was born in Broome hospital, WA in the late seventies. I went to Lagrange school, then to Nulungu College to further my education and went back to Lagrange. In the late 2000's I came interested in painting my old peoples’ Country. Me, I like doing dot painting. It's about culture, land and people. Sometimes I go out with the rangers to look after Country and sometimes it heals all of us being out on Country. The painting I do is sand dunes and claypans. Me, I use desert colours in my paintings, that represent the desert. My Mother and my Grandmother are Nyangumarta and my Father’s side is Mangala Side. Both of my Grandmothers were born in the desert Country, they both grew me up in the old camp here in Bidyadanga.”
– Edward Badal

Edward’s work has been recognised across regional Western Australia. He won Best Overall Artwork in the Shinju Art Awards two years in a row, participated in Radius 6.0 at the Courthouse Gallery+Studio in Port Hedland, and exhibited alongside Bibianna Tumbler in a two-person show at Redbill Studio+Gallery in Broome in 2025.

Alongside his art practice, Edward works as a Nyangumarta Ranger, caring for Country through traditional knowledge and land management. His time on Country informs his paintings — observing fire, water, animal tracks, claypans and spinifex — and strengthens the deep cultural connection that underpins his work.

Beyond his paintings, Edward advocates for mental health and plays an important mentoring role at the Art Centre, often encouraging younger people and family members to paint. His presence and passion for culture continue to inspire others in the community to share their own stories through painting

Related Posts

Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community LaGrange Inc

377815582417542

Nyangumarta Warrarn (Country) “Nyangumarta Country is home to the Nyangumarta people — from the desert to the seaside. Old people lived and walked on this land, and we as Nyangumarta still look after it today. Read more…

Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community LaGrange Inc

377815582411534

Desert to the Sea  “I know it’s Karajarri land. We got Karajarri rock — three of them. There’s a salt place. There’s Bidyadanga. That’s called Black Rock. Did they tell you the story for that Read more…

Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community LaGrange Inc

377815582411533

What I Capture “What I capture is my inner belief as a Native Aboriginal Australian woman — a feeling of belonging to something bigger than myself. My work reflects that sense of connection. What inspires Read more…

© the artist / art centre