Djomi (Fresh Water Spirit) 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 Read more…
Manyawok (Cheeky Yam) This design depicts the cheeky yam, which is found on the artist’s country, near the outstation of Mumeka in central Arnhem Land. Yams are an important bush food that are collected during the wet season. Unlike other yams that can be eaten roasted, the cheeky yam can Read more…
Kundayarr (lino tile) The first tile has different types of kunmadj (dillybag) and marebu (floormat) made with Kundayarr (Pandanus). ‘There are two djerr (dilly bags), one basket, two marebu (floormats) and one kunmadj in this tile. This is how we carry and collect our bush tucker. This basket in the Read more…
Makéddja (Turtle) Makéddja is the generic word for turtle in the Ndjébbana language of the Kunibidji people of Maningrida.
Yawkyawk ‘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 – yawkyawk and the other Read more…
Yawkyawk ‘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 – yawkyawk and the other Read more…
Karrbarda (Long Yam) “This design is about collecting karrbarda (yams). The old people use these kungarrndutj (digging sticks) to dig the yams from under the ground. They carry the kunmatj (dilly bags) on their heads for collecting bush food. These yams are purple on the saltwater side of country and Read more…
Jin-merduwa (mermaid) A beautiful, one-off, linocut, hand printed design by Elizabeth Wullunmingu depicting the story of Jin-merduwa. Sometimes she also includes her Garriwa turtle print. My niece, Stephanie James, is singing a song called Diyama, and it is about Jin-merduwa. She is in the Ripple Effect Band. They are now famous Read more…
Lady Dreaming ‘Lady Dreaming is near the three palm trees, Ngarndúma on the Arnhem highway. One of the mermaids is called Jilapara and the other is Lilima – they are two sisters. My husbands grandmother knows this story. She’s like djomi but different. This one is big and fat, djomi Read more…