Djerrk (Bush String Bag) Djerrk (Bush String Bag) is a flexible, open weave bag made from the bark of Balgurr (red-flowered Kurrajong) but can also be made using Banyan Tree or the Cocky Apple Tree. The bark is harvested by cutting sections of the tree from the trunk. Depending on Read more…
Matjka (Ceremonial Body Wear) Matjka are ceremonial body adornments made from balgurr (Kurrajong). The string is put over the arms and crossed at the chest, the thick are goes down the spine. Bark is stripped from the tree, smashed with a rock to soften then boiled, sometimes with natural bush dyes. The Read more…
JB Fisher – Narrgi’ṉarrgi (possum- sugar glider) 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 Read more…
JB Fisher – Wuldulbal/badju (bream) 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, Read more…
Wak Wak This painting depicts a sacred site at ‘Kurrurldul’, an outstation south of Maningrida. The ‘rarrk’, or abstract crosshatching, on this work represents the design for the crow totem ancestor called ‘Djimarr’. Today this being exists in the form of a rock, which is permanently submerged at the bottom Read more…
Saratoga It is well known that Aboriginal art often depicts images of sacred totems or dreamings of Aboriginal culture. However, the world of the non-sacred also provides a rich source of subject matter for Aboriginal art. Much of the rock art of western Arnhem Land for example features secular topics Read more…
Wayuk (Waterlily) Wayuk (Waterlily) Nymphaea violacea. The stem of wayuk is a popular bushfood and the beautiful flower is enjoyed across Arnhem Land. 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 Read more…
Mimih Spirit The mimih spirit exists in a realm that runs parallel to and mirrors many facets of human life, demonstrating the deep sense of time and place understood by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Such spirits feature importantly in relation to Aboriginal spirituality, cosmology, social and moral tales Read more…
Mimih Spirit The mimih spirit exists in a realm that runs parallel to and mirrors many facets of human life, demonstrating the deep sense of time and place understood by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Such spirits feature importantly in relation to Aboriginal spirituality, cosmology, social and moral tales Read more…