Wubbunj (Paperbark Canoe) “Wubbunj is our traditional canoe. This design is the old history story of how people came to live in this place we call Maningrida. Two old people were staying on the other side of the saltwater, in Narlarrambarr area. The old people slept in a paper bark Read more…
Lorrkkon The Lorrkkon or hollow-log coffin ceremony is the final ceremony in a sequence of mortuary rituals celebrated by the people of Arnhem Land. This ceremony might take place many years after the person has died, and involves the placing of the deceased’s bones into a hollow log that is decorated with painted clan Read more…
River and Rocks “This river we call Mangabo. It is near Gudjarrngarrl homeland of my daughters, Deborah and Jennifer Wurrkidj. We cross that river when travelling to Munmoy outstation. In the wet season, that water comes up and covers over those rocks, and when you look down there are rocks Read more…
Djomi This design depicts the story of the artist’s ancestral dreaming, the Djomi fresh water spirit mermaid. The Djomi figure is a mermaid like spirit with fish tail that lives in the fresh water stream that flows out to the sea cliff near Maningrida. Djomi is a known to be Read more…
Bawáliba (Stone Country Mimih) ‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair. In olden times, Read more…
Bawáliba (Stone Country Mimih) ‘Bawáliba is the djang (Dreaming) of my mother and my uncles. They are good spirits, they protect us and they recognise families. They are really tall- just like human beings, like us. They dance late at night and have a lot of hair. In olden times, Read more…
Lorrkon Jennifer Wurrkidj TITLE Lorrkon (Hollow funeral log) YEAR 2010 MEDIUM Screen print DETAILS 2 screen design, 1000 x 420mm Before, a long time ago, when old people would die they would put their bones inside the lorrkkon and leave it outside. It is part of ceremony. The old Read more…
Rrugurrgurda (Mud Crab) This design tells the story of Elizabeth’s homeland – a dreaming place, a good dreaming place with plentiful mud crabs. Elizabeth’s homeland lies east of Maningrida, at the mouth of Blyth river. This country is known for a large spiritual mud crab, which lives in the area. Read more…
Mandjabu Kuninjku people traditionally make two sorts of conical fish traps. One is called mandjabu and is made from a strong, durable vine called milil, and a smaller one is called manylik mandjabu, and made from the grass manylik. The mandjabuconical fish trap is bigger and stronger and used in tidal reaches Read more…