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Gungura – Janet Marawarr Janet Marawarr has depicted kunkurra, the spiralling wind associated with several sites in the Kardbam clan. On one level, this design can be interpreted as a depiction of the kinds of mini-cyclones common during the wet season in Arnhem Land, where the artist lives. Kunkurra also Read more…

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Gungura – Janet Marawarr Janet Marawarr has depicted kunkurra, the spiralling wind associated with several sites in the Kardbam clan. On one level, this design can be interpreted as a depiction of the kinds of mini-cyclones common during the wet season in Arnhem Land, where the artist lives. Kunkurra also Read more…

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Kunwardde dja Karrbarda (Rocks and Yam Vine) Susan Marawarr is a Kuninjku artist from the Kurulk clan whose country lies around the outstation of Mumeka in central Arnhem Land. In this design, she has depicted karrbarda (long yam) on her traditional country, the kunwardde (stone country). The large stones represent the Read more…

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Wak Wak – Deborah Wurrkidj Wak Wak (Black Crow Dreaming) by Deborah Wurrkidj 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 Read more…

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Sea Shells and Dilly Bags ‘Sometimes when we go down to the beach in Maningrida we pick all these shells up. Some family make necklaces and earrings. In the olden days they used to collect shells and put them in the dilly bags. The old people used to carry dilly Read more…

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Kukurlk Kare Karrinung kukurlk kare, karrijare manme (we are going underground looking for food). “This is my country. In this painting, I’m looking at her little bit different way. This is what we see when we’re kukurlk kare (going underground) Man-kurndalh (Black plum) I call mother. It is my mother’s Read more…

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Kukurlk Kare Karrinung kukurlk kare, karrijare manme (we are going underground looking for food). “This is my country. In this painting, I’m looking at her little bit different way. This is what we see when we’re kukurlk kare (going underground) Man-kurndalh (Black plum) I call mother. It is my mother’s Read more…

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Mardarda and Njarlarla In Esther’s first screen design, she depicts the story of Mardarda (bones) and Njarlarla (fire sticks) carried in a dilly bag, reminiscent of traditional ways of the Ndjebenna people. ‘Back in the old days, our people would use a ‘bush lighter’ for lighting fires, which was two Read more…

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Mandjabu (Fish Trap) – Susan Marawarr “In old times people would make these mandjabu (fish traps) to go fishing. They are made with vine we find in the jungle. That old man, Anchor Gulunba, he showed me how to make these fish traps. I would sit there and watch him Read more…

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Yawkyawk and Ngalng – Major Work ‘Yawkyawk swim underneath the rock. They always stay there. When the sun comes out they come out from underneath the river, make themselves warm. They sit and they look around. When they sit, they cry to themselves. Ngaldjorlhbo (mother of everything) she created them Read more…

© the artist / art centre