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Mun-dirra (fish fence) Mun-dirra, in Burarra language, means “fish fence”. Mun-dirra were traditionally made by men using coastal sedge grass called gurdagarra and were designed to fence in schools of fish in ocean shallows or riverbeds. They were used in conjunction with conical traps, Read more…

Marrchila (Saltwater crocdile) Marrchila, ana-munya gu-nirra, gu-bugula a-waywunga a-boya, lika guna-gepiya, a-warrchinga a-rracha a-yurra. Nipa a-weya a-workiya, a-yinaga, “Garr-rru.” The crocodile swims around at night, then after sunrise it climbs up out of the water and lies in the sun 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 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 Read more…

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 and the closely related Galabarrbarr Read more…

Mandirrhbinj (Cracked Mud) This painting depicts the mandirrhbinj (cracked mud) near Barrihdjowkkeng outstation in the Tomkinson River district of central Arnhem Land. The billabong there is known for the many frogs which inhabit its marsh-like surroundings. The billabong dries up Read more…

Kunkurra (The Spiralling Wind) ‘Kunkurra’, the spiralling wind is associated with several sites in the Kardbam clan estate. On one level, this painting can be interpreted as a depiction of the kinds of mini-cyclones common during the wet season in Read more…