Marrnyula Munuŋgurr
Bawu
26 x 37cm Paper: SOMERSET 46 x 56cm

ID: 460-16

In October 2009 I had a trip to Yilpara with other artists Fiona Hall, Judy Watson, John Wolseley and Jorg Schmeiser. We worked with Marrirra Marawili Djambawa Marawili, Liyawaday Wirrpanda and Mulkun Wirrpanda .

Basil Hall came along to help with the printing process. He took the images back to his studio for printing in Darwin. Winsome Jobling made the paper for the Bawu to go on to the print.

Ethno-biologist Glenn Wightman and anthropologist Howard Morphy were also part of this group. Rose, Angus and Pip from Nomad come with us also. Peter Eve took photos of the workshop and Yipara. The next day we were sitting under the tamarind tree and Djambawa was telling us a story about Yilpara and the sea rights ceremony. He told us about the flag. That night I dreamt about the Bawu and then asked Marrirra and Djambawa if I could paint my mother’s design .I got the permission from them and this is the story for my print.

Bawu represents the sailing cloth. It is the Madarrpa and Mangalili clan design. The design in the middle is Bawu. On the top the white represents the clouds and the blue represents the water. The lines around Bawu represent the saltwater-Muŋurru connected to Yilpara and Djarrakpi homelands. This is my first painting from my mother clan. It tells the story of sea rights. The ceremony for sea rights at Yilpara had this flag situated in the sea connecting clouds and water.

Printed by Adrian Kellett 2016
FMP 3XX