Marebu – Raylene Bonosn A ‘marebu’ is a hand-woven mat made of pandanus, often coloured with natural dyes. Marebu can be used as a floor mat, a fence to trap fish in waterways, a shield to cover babies from mosquitoes, a wrap for rinsing food in water, and a ceremonial 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…
Djomi (Fresh Water Spirit) This design depicts the story of the artist’s ancestral dreaming, the Djómi (Fresh Water Spirit). The Djómi figure is a mermaid-like spirit with fish tail that lives in the freshwater stream that flows out to the sea cliff near Maningrida. Djómi is known to be a 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…
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…
Djenj dja Komrdawh (Swordfish and Turtle) “My country is called Mankorlod. It is near the rock country. My dreaming is komrdawh (long neck turtle), the one I painted in my design. I like to eat komrdaw, it tastes really nice. We catch them in dry and wet season near Mankorlod. Read more…
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…
Bah-je (hunting bag) 2007 Linda Gurawana is a Djinang speaker with a long history of working at Babbarra Women’s Centre. In Linda’s language, bah-je describes a woven hunting bag or dilly bag. This three-colour design was created in 2007 and continues to be printed by the centre staff in Maningrida.
Na-méwaya (triangle fish net) *Ndjébbana A small fishing net or butterfly net of a traditional triangular design.
Na-méwaya (triangle fish net) *Ndjébbana A small fishing net or butterfly net of a traditional triangular design.