Lorrkon (Hollow Log) The Lorrkon or bone pole coffin ceremony is the final ceremony in a sequence of mortuary rituals celebrated by the people of Arnhem Land. This ceremony involves the placing of the deceased’s bones into a hollow log Read more…
Djomi Djomi is a freshwater spring surrounded by jungle at the mouth of the Liverpool River. It is a major sacred site with extensive mythological significance for the Kunibidji people. Mermaids live in the freshwater spring. They are associated with djabayena, Read more…
Burarr (Water Monitor) Bark paintings have a long cultural tradition, believed to extend back many thousands of years. In northern Australia, the walls of bark shelters in the Kimberley and Arnhem Land may well have been painted to convey and illustrate stories in Read more…
Emus eating quandongs In this painting Dorothy has painted two emus and their chicks eating quandongs or native peach (red dots) from the quandong tree. The birds in the sky have quandongs in their beaks as they also enjoy eating Read more…
Untitled This work portrays an area known to the artist, painted here from memory. During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) era one’s survival depended on their intimate knowledge of the location of resources; thus physical elements of Country, such as Read more…
Woven Stingray Yolŋu weavers of Arnhem Land craft both utilitarian and ceremonial objects using naturally sourced materials, with more recent works also including decorative pieces, such as this woven stingray. The primary material used in this piece is the young, Read more…
Woven Barramundi Yolŋu weavers of Arnhem Land craft both utilitarian and ceremonial objects using naturally sourced materials, with more recent works also including decorative pieces, such as this woven barramundi. The primary material used in this piece is the young, Read more…
Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story) All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) Read more…
Bonba Dhawu (butterfly story) This is a Songline story for Gurrulpa Clan Family (Andrews grandmother), which involves yams, butterfly and lizards. In that story, a creator-ancestor travels to an island, clears land with fire, and observes butterflies dancing among yam Read more…
