Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation

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Mimi

“Mimi go through rock country. Hide in cracks. May be cheeky. Mimi look after and renew country.”

This stunning Mimi Spirit has been hand crafted from native beach hibiscus sourced in Darwin. Carved using a mix of sharp hand tools it has then been finished in modern acrylic paints.

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

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Mimi

“Mimi go through rock country. Hide in cracks. May be cheeky. Mimi look after and renew country.”

This stunning Mimi Spirit has been hand crafted from native beach hibiscus sourced in Darwin. Carved using a mix of sharp hand tools it has then been finished in modern acrylic paints.

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

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Mimi

“Mimi go through rock country. Hide in cracks. May be cheeky. Mimi look after and renew country.”

This stunning Mimi Spirit has been hand crafted from native beach hibiscus sourced in Darwin. Carved using a mix of sharp hand tools it has then been finished in modern acrylic paints.

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

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Goanna + Emu

Bernadette’s painted logs are often offcuts from mako or didjeridu manufacture. Rather than wasting the pieces or relegating them to the fire, Bernadette collects these, sands them smooth and then experiments with different painting techniques.

Painted using a combination of brushes; handmade traditional Jarlk grass reed brush harvested from local billabongs and wet areas, along with modern paintbrushes. Bernadette sometimes paints using a stippling effect (modern paintbrush), a modern panting style (fish using a modern brush for example), raark (fine line work using a jarlk brush), or dots (using the end of a jarlk brush).

Painted entirely using modern acrylic paints. Painting represents Goanna and Emu foot track.

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Emu + Man

Bernadette’s painted logs are often offcuts from mako or didjeridu manufacture. Rather than wasting the pieces or relegating them to the fire, Bernadette collects these, sands them smooth and then experiments with different painting techniques.

Painted using a combination of brushes; handmade traditional Jarlk grass reed brush harvested from local billabongs and wet areas, along with modern paintbrushes. Bernadette sometimes paints using a stippling effect (modern paintbrush), a modern panting style (fish using a modern brush for example), raark (fine line work using a jarlk brush), or dots (using the end of a jarlk brush).

Painted entirely using modern acrylic paints. Painting represents emu and man foot track.

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Dingo + Man

Bernadette’s painted logs are often offcuts from mako or didjeridu manufacture. Rather than wasting the pieces or relegating them to the fire, Bernadette collects these, sands them smooth and then experiments with different painting techniques.

Painted using a combination of brushes; handmade traditional Jarlk grass reed brush harvested from local billabongs and wet areas, along with modern paintbrushes. Bernadette sometimes paints using a stippling effect (modern paintbrush), a modern panting style (fish using a modern brush for example), raark (fine line work using a jarlk brush), or dots (using the end of a jarlk brush).

Painted entirely using modern acrylic paints. Painting represents dingo and man foot track.

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Dingo, Kangaroo + Man

Bernadette’s painted logs are often offcuts from mako or didjeridu manufacture. Rather than wasting the pieces or relegating them to the fire, Bernadette collects these, sands them smooth and then experiments with different painting techniques.

Painted using a combination of brushes; handmade traditional Jarlk grass reed brush harvested from local billabongs and wet areas, along with modern paintbrushes. Bernadette sometimes paints using a stippling effect (modern paintbrush), a modern panting style (fish using a modern brush for example), raark (fine line work using a jarlk brush), or dots (using the end of a jarlk brush).

Painted entirely using modern acrylic paints.

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Woven Mat

Fibre Art is an ancient Aboriginal women’s craft that is still made today using the same techniques as their ancestors. Making fibre art is labour intensive and much care and fine needlework is required to ensure the finished object is both functional and beautiful. Fibre art from the Ghunmarn Culture Centre includes dilly bags, floor mats, bush fans, woven creatures found in the landscape, plants such as yams (bush potato), baskets, place mats, and spirit figures such as mermaids and Mukuy’s.Natural pandanus fibre (Mukarra), is used to make much of the fibre art produced by the artists of Djilpin Arts. Women collect the pandaus by pulling from the top of the pandanus tree, then stripping and drying the leaves before they are dyed with natural bush colour collected from the Beswick surrounds.

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Woven Mat

Fibre Art is an ancient Aboriginal women’s craft that is still made today using the same techniques as their ancestors. Making fibre art is labour intensive and much care and fine needlework is required to ensure the finished object is both functional and beautiful. Fibre art from the Ghunmarn Culture Centre includes dilly bags, floor mats, bush fans, woven creatures found in the landscape, plants such as yams (bush potato), baskets, place mats, and spirit figures such as mermaids and Mukuy’s.Natural pandanus fibre (Mukarra), is used to make much of the fibre art produced by the artists of Djilpin Arts. Women collect the pandaus by pulling from the top of the pandanus tree, then stripping and drying the leaves before they are dyed with natural bush colour collected from the Beswick surrounds.

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Nula Nula

Wood carving has always been part of Aboriginal culture and Djilpin artists continue this tradition. Men carved wood for many purposes – tools for hunting or gathering food, axes and knives for building shelters, spears and clubs for protection of their lives and territory, objects for ceremony and to mark sacred sites.

Hunting implements include the boomerang, woomera and spear. The woomera is a lever which helps to increase the speed and distance the spear travels. Clapsticks are used as percussion instruments by the Songmen to accompany dancing along with the didgeridoo (mago).

As well as the more functional carvings, artists portray animals and birds in wood, and these carvings are often painted. Ceremonial carvings include spirit creatures including mukuy (devil devils) and mimi.

Some fine mimi figures have been cast in bronze.