Kunkurra (Spiral Wind) ‘My designs, they are all alive living up in my head’- 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 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…
Murnubbarr Karrolkan (Flying Magpie Geese) Murnubbarr (magpie geese) are a waterbird found in abundance in the wetland areas of Kakadu and western Arnhem Land. Murnubbarr are a sustainably hunted and enjoyed manme (bush food). They are known to fly long distances, particularly in the wet season.
Lorrkkon (Funeral Logs) Marilyn James Marilyn’s first screen print design depicts the story of lorrkkon (hollow funeral logs). This the story of her great, great grandfather and grandmother who were bark painters, as well as also sacred lorrkkon painters. When designing this screen print, Marilyn was remembering her childhood living Read more…
Man-ngarre (Native Grasses) Designed 2007 Elizabeth had a distinctive artistic style, depicting the natural world with loose, organic strokes. Her style was evident in her key designs Kun-ngol (clouds), showing the cloud formations over her floodplain country after the wet season, and the fine detail of Kun-kirh (mud ripples) depicting Read more…
Ngaldjorlhbo (Mother of Everything) Ngaldjorlhbo is a powerful woman who created the spiritual and tangible world for the Aboriginal people in Western Arnhem Land. In creating the land and environment, she endowed Kuninjku people with the ability to create art, and with their culture, to share with future generations. Ngaldjorlhbo gives Read more…
Manbirrbbirr (small bush flowers) In Kuninjku the name manbirrbbirr is used for a number of densely flowering shrubs and small trees including Verticordia cunninghamii, yellow flowering Austromyrtus species and also Acacia platycarpa which also has dense white.
Ka-milemarnbun (Weaving story) The Kuninjku term ka-milemarnbun refers to the weaving and production of goods from pandanus leaves and natural fibres. This design specifically depicts the fish trap, basket and pandanus mat. These three objects and ancestral spirits are significant to the artist as together they relate to her djang (dreaming). Read more…
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…
Yawkyawk (young woman spirit) Yawkyawk is a word from the Aboriginal Kunwinjku language, meaning ‘young woman’ and ‘young woman spirit being’. Sometimes compared to the European notion of mermaids, yawkyawks are usually depicted with the tails of fish. They have long hair, associated with trailing blooms of algae, typically found Read more…