Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation

---

---

Woven Fish

This finely crafted hand woven fish represents species found both in blue water and local billabongs surrounding Beswick / Wugularr.

Djilpin’s super talented pandanus artists have been busy pushing their skills and techniques. This fun little fish is a prime example of this and a step away from traditional baskets, mats and dilly bags. Each fish is unique, hand woven and feature natural bush dye colouring.

Pandanus fibre art is labour intensive requiring a high level of care and fine needlework. Finished works are both functional and beautiful. Women collect pandanus by pulling from the top of a pandanus tree, stripping then dying the leaves using natural bush colour.

---

---

Wagilag Sisters

The Wagalak sisters are creation sisters, Their spirit name is Djangka-Bu. In the Dreamtime they walked across the land.

As The two Wagalak sisters walked across the land, they scattered seeds and pods from their dilly bags creating the landscape. When the reached a river, they stopped to rest under a tree . They took off their dilly bags and hung them on the tree. Their dilly bags contained all their power – sacred ornaments, power objects.

While they were resting by the tree, they heard the sound of Men. The Wagalak sisters followed the sound of the Men, leaving their dilly bags behind hanging on the tree, while the Wagalak sisters were following the sounds, some of the men found the dilly bags and the powerful seeds and pods.

Much, much later, the Wagaglak sisters returned to the tree and the older sister had a baby. The Wagalak sisters went hunting for food and caught goanna, blue tongue lizard, and possum. They built a shelter with paperbark to sleep in and made a fire to cook their dinner. The elder sister went down to the river to wash her new baby, when she returned, the Wagalak sisters saw the animals that were cooking in the fire, get up and run towards the nearby river. So the sisters went to sleep hungry in their hut.

Suddenly, there was a fierce storm with rain and thunder and Lightning and they were awoken by the appearance of a native dog or dingo. The dog had smelled the mother and the new baby in the river and had come to the hut to look for the baby, then the dog disappeared and the storm stopped and a rainbow appeared. The rainbow became the Rainbow serpent.

The rainbow serpent encircled the Wagalak Sisters and their baby. And ate them. This is a Wagilak dreaming – this is the story that has been told and handed down from the beginning.

Painting has been completed using a mixture of modern paintbrushes along with a handmade grass reed brush called Jarlk. This traditional brush was harvested from billabongs and wet areas and used to create the fine line work. Fine line patterns visible is in Yirritja style and consists of multiple lines before alternating colour. Modern acrylic paint has been used.

---

---

Billabong Fish

This piece by Norman Lane depicts some common billabong fish in the local area. It is finished with traditional rarrk (fine cross-hatch painting).

---

---

Turtles + Eggs

This piece shows two turtles and a nest of turtle eggs. The painting is finished with traditional rarrk (fine cross-hatch style painting).

---

---

Djilpin River Dreaming

This painting depicts three fish found at Djilpin River, country of Russell Ashley.

At top and bottom are two Barramundi, while in the middle is a Catfish. Lily root and pads are also visible.

Painting has been completed using a handmade Jarlk brush harvested from local billabongs and wet areas. Raark or fine line cross hatching is in Yirritja style and consists of multiple lines before alternating colour.

---

---

Bush tucker

This piece by Frankie (Tango) Lane depicts some favourite local bush tucker. The animals are finished in traditional rarrk style (fine cross-hatching).

---

---

Billabong Feed

This painting shows multiple animals found in billabongs. Included are fish, file snake and a diving duck.

Raark or fine line cross hatching is in Yirritja style and consists of multiple lines before alternating colour.

---

---

Billabong Feed

This painting depicts multiple yams, along with a diving duck and file snake. All are very tasty bush tucker.

Raark or fine line work is in Yirritja style and consists of multiple lines before alternating colour. Modern acrylic paint has been used.

---

---

Bush Tools

This painting depicts a series of important bush tools. Visible include a few stone blades, multiple dillybags, coolamons or water carriers as well as bondocks or woomeras. Some fire starting implements can also be seen.

Painting has been completed using a handmade Jarlk reed brush. This can be found and harvested from local billabongs and wet areas. Raark or fine line work is in Yirritja style and consists of three or four lines before alternating colour.

---

---

Flying Fox

This painting depicts a flying fox hanging upside down, a common sight around Beswick. During dry season flying foxes come and roost making noise all day and driving people crazy. In the old times people used to hunt and cook the animals, however don’t so much any more. Once the build up comes and “mango madness” hits the flying foxes move on to mango plantations giving a quiet reprieve.

This story has been painted using a handmade Jarlk brush harvested from local billabongs. Raark or fine line work is in Yirritja style and consists of three or four lines before alternating colours.