Name: Lily Mindindil Karadada
Language: Wunambal
Community: Kalumburu
Biography:
Lily was born in the bush in her father's country around Prince Regent River called Woomban-goo-wan-gorr. Both parents were leading a traditional existence and were both of the Woonambal language group. Lily's bush name Mindindil means "bubbles" and was given to Lily after her father looked down into the spring water from the top of a hill and saw the spring bubbling up a few hours after Lily was born. When she was born she was carried in a bark coolamon which is called a "namarrga" similar to the ones Lily made. Lily grew up up on bush tucker such as kangaroo, honey, yams, fish and goannna. When she was a young girl her family used to visit relations living at Kunmumya Mission in Wororora country. They used to cross the Prince Regent River at a shallow place and follow regular tracks south through the bush. Lily's father passed away when she was quite young. When she became an adolscent her mother moved her and her brother to the Mitchell Plateau area called Giboolday. There Lily met and married Jack Karadada and they had ten children. Lily and Jack left the bush and went to live at Kalumburu mission during the second World War. Lily worked at the mission planting mango trees. They used to carry drums of water form the river on their backs to water the trees and gardens. Lily and her family still live in Kalumburu, where she painted images based on the paintings she saw in caves in the country she walked as a girl. Lily specialised in representations of Wandjina, executed in a refined style, full of subtle tonal variations. Sometimes the Wandjina is shown emerging from a veil of dots (rain) which also inundate the body. A dotted ground is also characteristic of Lily’s depictions of totemic species and the natural features of her country. She is recognised as being one of the major artists of the Kimberley region and has exhibited her work extensively.
Wirrigirrig Wirrigirrig – the Victoria River flows from the lower left across to the centre right joined by Goongoolooloo – the Wickham River from the upper left. This is an area of the artist’s traditional Read more…
Kirrthang – Blanket Lizard Dreaming This is an area of the artist’s traditional country near Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory. Along the bottom of the painting runs the Victoria River. Flowing down the Read more…
