Thomas Baru has carved Yaḻurr’, the word for sea snake in Yan-nhangu language, his mother tongue. Yaḻurr’ is of the dhuwa moiety and belongs to the Malarra clan group. The painted patterns depict seaweed, as she swims through her habitat.
Name: Thomas Baru
Language: Burarra (Martay), Yan-nhangu
Community: Maningrida
Biography:
Thomas Baru is a young emerging artist from the Warrawarra clan. this clan consist of many strong Burarra-Martay speaking artists such as Clancy Baru and Marcus Pascoe.
His paintings relate to the country called Gamurra Gu-yurra which lies between Maningrida and Ramingining in central Arnhem Land. Common totemic features depicted by this clan are Warraburnburn (a Wangarra or Ghost spirit), Gorraporda (darter), Marrchila/Baru (the saltwater crocodile) and ngokngok (Southern Boobook owl)
Bamagora A ‘bamagora’ is a Burarra word for a traditional woven tent-like structure. A bamagora was woven to create a shelter for a child or adult when sleeping.
Warraburnburn In Burarra and Gun-nartpa languages the figure represented in this artwork is generally known as a wangarra ‘ghost spirit’. For the Warrawarra clan ghost spirits have their own particular characteristics and their own name – Warraburnburn. The Warraburnburn Read more…
