Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation

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Handwoven Stringbag Earrings, Silver 925

Wagilak Yapa Watj (Wagilak Sisters) range –
exclusive jewellery from Indigenous women of Beswick. Developed in studio workshops with jeweller Kate Sale and weaver Fiona Gavino, traditional fibre artists are translating their skills into a series of fine woven wire earrings and pendants. Hand woven in sliver, gold and copper, traditional forms are transformed as delicate interpretations of string and dilly bags, baskets and mats.

Featuring sterling silver, 9ct gold and copper (all nickel-free work).

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Buffalo Carving

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.

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Carvings

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.

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Handwoven Stringbag Earrings, Copper/Silver

Wagilak Yapa Watj (Wagilak Sisters) range –
exclusive jewellery from Indigenous women of Beswick. Developed in studio workshops with jeweller Kate Sale and weaver Fiona Gavino, traditional fibre artists are translating their skills into a series of fine woven wire earrings and pendants. Hand woven in sliver, gold and copper, traditional forms are transformed as delicate interpretations of string and dilly bags, baskets and mats.

Featuring sterling silver, 9ct gold and copper (all nickel-free work).

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Mukuy Spirit Figures

These finely crafted woven figures represent Mukuy Spirit creatures. The Mukuy belong in Yirritja country called Galanbirni. At night you might hear them playing the Didjeridu. The Mukuy travel around a lot and are often found in sacred places. They are mysterious, sometimes playful and sometimes cheeky characters, often referred to as Devil Devil. Mukuy figures tell the stories of country, culture and spiritual beliefs.

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Mukuy Spirit Figures

These finely crafted woven figures represent Mukuy Spirit creatures. The Mukuy belong in Yirritja country called Galanbirni. At night you might hear them playing the Didjeridu. The Mukuy travel around a lot and are often found in sacred places. They are mysterious, sometimes playful and sometimes cheeky characters, often referred to as Devil Devil. Mukuy figures tell the stories of country, culture and spiritual beliefs.

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Freshwater crocodiles with barramundi family

This painting depicts two long nosed crocodiles swimming in the billabong with young barramundi and their mother barramundi. The rarrk represents the Yirritja moiety. This is my songline. Paintings created by Djilpin artists showcase the traditional ‘rarrk’, cross-hatching pattern from Arnhem Land. This style is highly distinctive and often uses colors such as red and yellow oxide, titanium white and carbon black. The figurative depictions and patterns are deeply symbolic, representing stories and skin groups as well as cultural and spiritual beliefs passed down from ancestors. The use of brushes like the Jarlk brush, crafted from local billabong reeds, adds an extra layer of authenticity to the work, connecting the artists with the land and their heritage.

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Mukuy Spirit Figures

These finely crafted woven figures represent Mukuy Spirit creatures. The Mukuy belong in Yirritja country called Galanbirni. At night you might hear them playing the Didjeridu. The Mukuy travel around a lot and are often found in sacred places. They are mysterious, sometimes playful and sometimes cheeky characters, often referred to as Devil Devil. Mukuy figures tell the stories of country, culture and spiritual beliefs.

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Mukuy Spirit Figures

These finely crafted woven figures represent Mukuy Spirit creatures. The Mukuy belong in Yirritja country called Galanbirni. At night you might hear them playing the Didjeridu. The Mukuy travel around a lot and are often found in sacred places. They are mysterious, sometimes playful and sometimes cheeky characters, often referred to as Devil Devil. Mukuy figures tell the stories of country, culture and spiritual beliefs.

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Fibre Art

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 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 Mukuys. Natural pandanus fibre (Mukarra), is used to make much of the fibre art produced by the artists of Djilpin Arts. Women collect the pandanus 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.