Name: Russell Davey
Language: Bardi
Community: Ardyaloon
Biography:
Russell (Wossy) Davey is a proud Bardi man, with many connections, but only
identifies himself as a Traditional Custodian oftheArdi’ol clan group. He lives in Ardyaloon Community on the Dampier Peninsula of the Kimberley Region in Western Australia. Wossy’s art is inspired by his Bardi culture creating designs that incorporate Dreamtime stories of his saltwater people, continuing to tell these stories through many art forms, using colours, animals and shapes that depict his natural environment.
He is an accomplished carver of pearl shells, boab nuts, and traditional artefacts whilst advocating that young people are taught the old ways, keeping law, language and culture alive, so the knowledge is not lost forever.
"I've been doing art all my life. I’ve loved it since school doing a lot of drawing. You get ideas from people as you go along in life and you try things and refine. When I was young, my teacher asked us to draw a lion thinking it would be too hard but I did it easily and that’s when I realised I could draw. I learned carving when I was eleven from my uncles and I grew up watching my grandmother painting with oils.”
Garrabal Goolyi- Great Bower Bird This is the Bird we call the stealing bird. We see him around in One Arm Point. Once I found his nest and there two small round sinkers.
Marrgaliny -Hammerhead This depicts Gardamon creation story and how the Hammerhead became a shark and got his head shape. So, the hammerhead was a man and his name was Marrgaliny. As he was walking along Read more…
Miyall- Island Lizard When Miyall are born, they stay close to the mother for the first day and then she sends them off hunting by themselves. The background show the pattern of the mother’s skin, Read more…