Merlemerle – Butterfly
Wirndilk, haemodorum coccineum is a tropical grass growing in the well draining and sandy soil around the stony country. Commonly known as scarlet bloodroot, the bright red bulb can achieve shimmering red or rust dye tones.
The seeds of wirndilk can make a beautiful and bright purple-pink colour.
Wirndilk continues to be used women of Arnhem Land to dye pandanus for dilly bags and woven baskets.
This fabric was created using the linocut printing technique. The lino tile has been carved by the artist in Maningrida, and has been printed by hand using a variety of colours and layers. The linocut technique ensures each textile piece is a one-off, limited edition piece. Bábbarra Women’s Centre supports the economic independence of Indigenous women in the Arnhem Land community of Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia. Designs created by the women at Bábbarra reflect strong cultural knowledge, which is passed down to younger generations through their textile design practice.
This fabric was created using the linocut printing technique. The lino tile was carved by the artist in Maningrida and printed by hand using a variety of colours and layers. The linocut technique ensures each textile piece is a one-off, limited edition piece.
Bayadherra shell created from a mould taken from a found turtle shell, raku with coloured glaze applied.
Bayadherra shell created from a mould taken from a found turtle shell, raku with coloured glaze applied.
Bayadherra shell created from a mould taken from a found turtle shell, raku with coloured glaze applied.
Bayadherra shell created from a mould taken from a found turtle shell, raku with coloured glaze applied.
Bayadherra shell created from a mould taken from a found turtle shell, raku with coloured glaze applied.
The meaning and the purpose of this painting and why it came to be, it represents me, who I am as an Aboriginal man. My bloodlines, my song lines, my ceremonies, my culture but it also represents the times of creation. The snake represents my creator spirit Biami, the rainbow serpent. The kangaroo represents Marloo the giant kangaroo. The goanna represents Barryibala the sand goanna and Bigarrumudja the emu man. The crosshatching you see or the raak patterns represents my Connection with Country and my song lines. The diamond patterns represent the Men’s business and our lore. The handprints you see are the ancestral spirits that walk the lands and guard sacred sites. The colours come from country ochre. Yellow for medicine and women also Mother Earth. Ochre red for Men’s ceremony and Men’s business and black and white for sacredness. The grubs you see are whitchety grubs and bardi grubs; the black circles are the spots you collect them from with a long stick to pull them out symbolic for our bush tucker and living off the land this is the dreaming, my country, my culture, my identity. It is me. Every single pattern and line that you see on the painting has purpose and meaning. South-East coast region, we are linear design peoples and that is the traditional way of telling story within Yorta Yorta.
JB paints stories from his Dhuwa homeland in northeast Arnhem Land. Stories are passed on either paternally or maternally, and JB would have learnt these stories from his ancestors. The cross-hatching style is a traditional painting style of this area and can represent elements such as water, air and wind.
His paintings often feature totemic animals of the fresh waters of north east Arnhem Land.