Maningrida Arts & Culture

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Wak Wak

This painting depicts a sacred site at ‘Kurrurldul’, an outstation south of Maningrida.

The ‘rarrk’, or abstract crosshatching, on this work represents the design for the crow totem ancestor called ‘Djimarr’. Today this being exists in the form of a rock, which is permanently submerged at the bottom of Kurrurldul Creek. The ‘Djimarr’ rock in the stream at Kurrurldul is said to move around and call out in a soft hooting tone at night. Both the stone itself and the area around it are considered sacred.

The imagery represents the rock mentioned above at the bottom of Kurrurldul creek, which is the final transmutation of the dreaming ancestor ‘Djimarr’. Finally, the pattern used here is also the crow design used in the sacred ‘Mardayin’ ceremony, which is a large regional patri-moiety ceremony now rarely conducted in central and eastern Arnhem Land.

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Coil Basket

Coiling technique was introduced in the 1920s at Goulburn Island to the Maung people by missionaries and quickly spread to the mainland. Many artists produce coiled baskets of varied shapes, ranging from small round baskets to large oval baby baskets made from dyed pandanus. Artists combine colours and patterns to obtain intricate new graphic patterns.

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Coil Basket

Coiling technique was introduced in the 1920s at Goulburn Island to the Maung people by missionaries and quickly spread to the mainland. Many artists produce coiled baskets of varied shapes, ranging from small round baskets to large oval baby baskets made from dyed pandanus. Artists combine colours and patterns to obtain intricate new graphic patterns.

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Coil Basket

Coiling technique was introduced in the 1920s at Goulburn Island to the Maung people by missionaries and quickly spread to the mainland. Many artists produce coiled baskets of varied shapes, ranging from small round baskets to large oval baby baskets made from dyed pandanus. Artists combine colours and patterns to obtain intricate new graphic patterns.

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Ngangiy (Mud-mussels)

This Painting depicts Ngangiy (Mud mussels) a type of shellfish; a mussel, a commonly gathered clam found in the mangrove mud and characteristically coated with coralline growth and stained partly black. Polymesoda coaxans (Corbiculidae). This plentiful shellfish is collected in the dried out floodplains, only a small sliver of the shell is exposed as it buries itself in mud, You need good eyes to find this delicious bush food.

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Ngalyod at Milmilngkan

The rainbow serpent is a powerful mythological figure for all aboriginal people throughout Australia.

Characteristics of the rainbow serpent vary greatly from group to group and also depending

On the site often viewed as a female generative, the rainbow serpent can sometimes also be male.

She has both powers of creation and is most strongly associated with rain, monsoon seasons of

Course the colour seen in rainbow which arc across the sky like a giant serpent .for aboriginal

People in northern Australia, the rainbow serpent is said to be active during the wet season.

Often she is associated with billabongs and freshwater springs where she resides and she is responsible for the production of most water plants such as water lillies, water vines and,

Palms which grow near water. The roar of waterfalls in the escarpment country is said to be her voice large holes in Stoney banks of rivers and cliff faces are said to be her tracks. She is

Held in awe because of her apparent ability to renew her life by shedding her skin and emerging anew. Aboriginal myths about Ngalyod often describe as a fearful creature who

Swallows humans only to regurgitate them, transformed by her blood. The white ochre used by artists to create the brilliant white paint for bark painting, body decoration and art, is said to be the faeces of rainbow Serpent.

Aboriginal people today respect and caretake sacred sites where the rainbow serpent is said reside. Often certain activities are forbidden at these places for fear wrath of the great snake will cause sickness, accidents and even tempests. This is not always the case however are

Many rainbow serpent sites today where people may enter to hunt, fish or swim. Milmligkan, where Ngalyod is depicted in this painting is an example of a sacred site also used as a hunting camp. It is a sacred billabong and an important resting place for Ngalyod, not far from Kurrurldal.

Ngalyod’s association with water plants is represented in this painting by tow water lilly leaves in white ochre. In this depiction, Ngalyod is pregnant, as shown by the tow white humps in body. When pregnant, Ngalyod is referred to in Kunwinjku as Wadiyal.

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Djurn (Black-nosed snake)

This installations shows when the djurn (black-nosed snake) are sung by a cleverman.  When the man places a rock in a glass it starts to ‘sing’ the black-nosed snakes.  They rise up and call the rain to create a billabong but it is dangerous as they can call the sea too.

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eagle

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Diving Bird

This is the story of the diving bird ‘Gorroporra’. Gorroporra is an important sea bird from the Gamurra- Guyurra country. The imagery of this bird is painted on the men’s chests for dancing during ceremonies and funerals. Other imagery in this painting depict a water plant ‘Tjamandarra’ and a fish food called ‘Gapalma’. The language spoken in this region is Burarra. 

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Diving Bird

This is the story of the diving bird ‘Gorroporra’. Gorroporra is an important sea bird from the Gamurra- Guyurra country. The imagery of this bird is painted on the men’s chests for dancing during ceremonies and funerals. Other imagery in this painting depict a water plant ‘Tjamandarra’ and a fish food called ‘Gapalma’. The language spoken in this region is Burarra.