Black lives matter. Indigenous lives matter. 🖤 #blackouttuesday #stopdeathsincustody #solidarity
Graham Badari’s new bark painting of Nawuroh is looking amazing. Nawuroh is a giant from Kudjekbinj who painted himself and placed himself as a rock. We’ve just heard the local rangers are grading the road so Graham is planning a trip to the site very soon. Go to Injalak.com/curates to see Graham’s online exhibition ❤️ #grahambadari #injalakarts #barkpainting #contemporaryart #backinjalak
Thommo Nganjmirra’s precise style is perfectly suited to capture the fine and slender forms of the egrets, mimihs and stone country animals in his textile designs. Thommo’s designs are simple and elegant. The parallel rarrk (hatching) is of a style which has adorned rock paintings in West Arnhem Land for millennia. #thommonganjmirra #injalakarts #screenprinting #backinjalak #silk #cotton #linen ⭐️available online now❤️link in bio⭐️
Thommo Nganjmirra is a senior artist at Injalak and a consummate draftsman, depicting the Kunwinjku natural world and its stories with fidelity and meticulous skill. Having begun painting as a young man, his work has by now developed an elegant ease that flows from his mastery of manyilk (the traditional sedge brush) and his instinctive compositional sense.
With his extensive knowledge of the rock art adorning the caves of Injalak Hill, Thompson is one of Injalak’s most highly regarded tour guides. He comes from an artistic family; he is the son of Jimmy Nakurrudjilmi Nganjmirra and brother of Robin Nganjmirra. His mother is Mary Nganjmirra. #thommonganjmirra #injalakarts #painting #contemporaryart #backinjalak
The legendary Glen Namundja just finished this masterpiece, painted with ochres on arches paper. What a great start to the week! #glennamundja #injalakarts #backinjalak #contemporaryart #ochre #rarrk
Merrill has made a fibre art sculpture of a baby.
This fibre art is made from 100% organic local materials sourced from the Gunbalanya area. Weavers gather fresh young leaves from the Pandanus palm using a hooked stick, then strip and dry them. The pandanus is then boiled up on the campfire with local plant dyes.
These works are living embodiments of Australia's history. Kunwinjku women have been developing the artform for almost 100 years, experimenting with new forms and adapting it to local materials. #merrillgirrabul #fibreart #pandanusbaby #injalakarts #backinjalak
Outstanding Australian printmakers have collaborated with our artists over a number of years to create a range of lithographs, etchings and screenprints. Go to our website to see new prints available Injalak.com/shop ❤️ link in bio❤️Many editions have very limited quantities left in stock. #backinjalak #printmaking #injalakarts #limitededition
Injalak Curates: Graham Badari. In this painting Graham has painted Manmakkawarri (the salmon catfish, Hexanematichthys leptaspis), a good eating fish. It is found in the freshwater rivers, creeks and waterholes of West Arnhem Land. There is a Catfish Dreaming site in Gunbalanya, a rounded rock with protrudes from the ground on the south side of the town. In the old days, people used to take a leafy branch of mandubang (ironwood, Erythrophlum chlorostachys) and hit the rock with them, calling out to the Ancestors to supply plentiful fish to them. Then they would go down to the billabong, and find lots of catfish there which they would catch with walabi (traditional triangular nets) or djalakkiradj (multi-pronged fishing spears). Go to Injalak.com/curates to see the online exhibition #injalakcurates #grahambadari
Christine Nabobbob harvesting wirdilwirdil to make brown dyes for #fibreart Finding the right blades of grass in a field is akin to finding a needle in a haystack but Christine makes it look easy. The trick is that brown dye has a slightly brown tinge on the end of the blade. #sharingknowledge #injalakarts #christinenabobbob #naturaldyes #🤎
All our screen printed fabrics come with a story about the design. Dilly bags collaborative design was created by Priscilla Badari, Lynne Nadjowh, Sylvia
Badari and Katra Nganjmirra. Gundjabarrk is a woven dilly bag which was used by daluk (women) to gather and carry bush foods in. They would gather Karrbarda (yams), mankinjdjek (cheeky yams) and other bushfoods such as bush honey. Gundjabarrk were also used to carry cooked meats such as kurdukadji (emu) and Kunj (Kangaroo). Women would secure their gundjabarrk with two sticks in the shallow running water of a creek and leave them there to wash the yams overnight, in the morning they would come and tip out the yams onto some paperbark and eat them for breakfast. Bininj (aboriginal men) would also use gundjabarrk to carry their tools such as Karramalk (stone axes) and lawk (stone blades) for cutting meat up with. Some wore them on their shoulders and some around their heads like the daluk. This design was based on real examples of woven dilly bags at Injalak Arts with all their variety of pattern and weaving techniques. The women have created a beautiful design that continues to express their connection with their cultural heritage through new mediums. ❤️ All our fabrics are hand screen printed on site by talented Kunwinjku technicians. Artists are paid a royalty for every length of fabric printed. ❤️#backinjalak #screenprinting #injalakarts #ethicalfashion
Back Injalak: Go to our website to see more amazing fibre art ❤️ #backinjalak #fibreart #naturaldyes 🌈⭐️Marebu is the general Kunwinjku term for woven mats. These were traditionally valuable items. Some were used as working surfaces, others were worn and others used during ceremonial occasions. Traditionally these items would have been woven from plain pandanus, but today they are usually coloured with natural dyes.
The dyes:
It is possible that the use of natural dyes was encouraged by missionaries, influenced by what they had seen on Pacific islands. However it would have been local women, with their knowledge of local plants and bush medicines, who would have carried out the experimentation necessary for such a rich dye repertoire.
The most common dyes include:
Yellow-orange: Mandjurndum (the bright orange roots of the Pognolobus reticulatus bush) Brown: Wirdilwirdil (the red bulb of Haemadorum breviculae grass)
Green: The growing shoot of the pandanus itself (Pandanus spiralis), boiled with the ashes of pandanus leaves.
Purple-pink – Windilk (the seeds of the Haemodorum coccineum plant, related to Kangaroo Paw)
Grey-Black – Manbedde (the leaves of the quinine bush, Petalostigma pubescens)
We would like to share Joey Nganjmirra’s new painting Yiwarrudj (Respect) to celebrate National Reconciliation Week, an opportunity for Australians to recognise and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander culture and heritage #inthistogether #nrw2020
For Kunwinjku people, important events have been shared through paintings and oral-histories for tens of thousands of years. Joey Nganjmirra draws on his own experience as a ceremonial man in order to tell a history from a Kunwinjku perspective and reconcile the past.
Joey has painted a striking figurative work featuring important moments in the history of West Arnhem Land. The creation ancestors Yingarna and Ngalyod formed the land and placed the people and cultures here, while the missionary brought guns, walking sticks and prams, symbols of a balanda colonising culture introduced in West Arnhem for the last 100 years. All of these objects are afforded a place in this depiction of West Arnhem Land. On the top right of the painting Joey has placed a Macassan boat, representative of the four centuries of trade and amiable relationships between Indonesian trepang fishers and Indigenous Australians. On the bottom left of the work, you can see a depiction of European contact, showing Missionary James Watson meeting Aboriginal people.
Joey said:
“Yiwarrudj means respect. This is what our traditional law told us. In 1916, the British man, James Watson came in with the bible and Western goods, when he saw bininj (Aboriginal) people, we traded things. He showed us how to handle guns, we showed him how to handle spears. Mrs Watson handed over prayers and our women showed her how to carry things our way and other women’s things. We don’t have thank you in our language, so we give a gift.” #joeynganjmirra #injalakarts
Beatrice Namundja and her wonderful coiled basket made using pandanus and natural dyes. Available online now 💖 link in bio #beatricenamundja #fibreart #injalakarts #backinjalak
Injalak Curates: Graham Badari’s newest body of works using a range of mixed media. Go to Injalak.com/curates to see the online exhibition. Graham Badari has painted Lambalk, the Sugar Glider (Petaurus breviceps) who lives in hollow trees like a possum. Lambalk come out at night to feed, flying from tree to tree. They are fond of the nectar of the manbune tree (Bloodwood, Corymbia polycarpa) and the sap of manbarlarra, (Emu Apple, Owenia vernicosa). In the cold season which Kunwinjku people call yekke, around May-June, the bloodwood flowers and the lambalk feed on the pink blossoms. The Old People used to light fires under trees to flush out possums to eat, but it’s not usual to eat sugar gliders. #injalakcurates #grahambadari #onlineexhibition #backinjalak #stayconnected #contemporaryart
Moses Wurrkidj created these beautiful Mimih Spirits, painted with fine cross hatching. Mimih spirits were the original spirit beings, who taught Aboriginal people many of the skills they needed to survive in the bush. They also taught aspects of ceremony. Mimih spirits are believed to inhabit the rocky escarpments around Gunbalanya but because they are extremely timid, they are rarely seen by humans. They are frequently depicted in the rock art of Arnhem Land as small, dynamic figures, often shown with a range of hunting tools such as spears, spear throwers, dilly bags and fire sticks. #moseswurrkidj #carving #sculpture #injalakarts #backinjalak
Isaiah Nagurrgurrba has created this painting to show Marnayak, how justice was practised in the old days. “An old man would train young men how to dodge spears – we call it Rrongnoh. When the time comes, maybe they made something wrong for ceremony, the men would cover themselves in white clay and people would say it is time for Marnayak. The men would present themselves to the families and then one or 2 men would throw spears. The men would try and dodge the spears. Sometimes they would get hit, other times they would miss. Either way the matter would be settled and everyone would feel that justice was done. This kind of justice was practised until the Mission times. When the Missionaries came to West Arnhem the old people decided not to carry on with the spearing.
Marnayak was also important for Kurnkolorr (sorry business). When someone passed away in Maningrida and their families were living in Gunbalanya it was necesaary for one person to bring the bad news to them. The messenger would tell the family what happened to the deceased person, whether they were in a fight or killed. The messenger painted themselves with white clay. The family would come outside and they would hug and say sorry to each other and cry.” See more paintings on our website Injalak.com/shop #isaiahnagurrgurrba #sharingculture #injalakarts #backinjalak
Wilma Nganjmirra has made these beautiful Marrabi (bush string bags). Wilma made the bush string from fronds of sand palm. Around Gunbalanya these palms can be found near the waterfalls. The leaves must be split, soaked, and then rolled on the thigh into string. Connected to ancestral creation stories and rock art in the area, the string bag is part of the oldest continuous weaving traditions in Arnhem Land #wilmanganjmirra #injalakarts #fibreart #backinjalak
Selina is shown in the process of creating her design: Dilly bags & Bush foods. The design will be exhibited @bendigoartgallery in their upcoming textiles exhibition, and was recently acquired for their collection.
Selina is multi-talented; a weaver, painter, fabric designer and printer. Many of the fabrics available online were printed by Selina and her printing partner Sylvia Badari.
The design:
Selina has created a design that depicts different Manme (bush food) and the tools used to gather them; djerrh(dilly bag) and kunbarllkbu (digging stick). Digging sticks are used to dig up marrdjek (small potato), mankinjdjek (cheeky yam) and karrabarrdda (long yam) which can be identified by its heart shaped leaves and hairy skin. Mangjokban (yam) is found in the billabongs and rivers and is harvested when flowering. This design includes mandem (water lilies), from where wurrmaninj (water lily seeds) can be gathered and eaten fresh from the kulabbarl (billabong). Manme is also collected from trees and shrubs such as mandjalkbedor (white apple), manjarduk (red apple), and mandudjmi (green plum). The manme in this design are collected during Kunumeleng (Nov-Dec) and the beginning of Kudjewk (Jan), the first few months of the wet season.
❤️All our designs come with a story about the design.❤️ #injalakarts #sharingculture #backinjalak #screenprinting
Graham Badari working on his new bark painting telling the story of Nawuroh, a giant who placed himself as a painting and a rock in Kudjekbinj. Nawuroh was a brilliant hunter and Graham is painting him surrounded by animals that he caught including a Barramundi and a Nailfish. Go to Injalak.com/curates to see Graham’s online exhibition #grahambadari #wip #injalakarts #barkpainting
Robyn Nabegeyo has made this beautiful fibre art sculpture of a fish (91cm). Robyn has created this artwork from pandanus and brown & yellow natural dyes. Yellow-orange: Mandjurndum (the bright orange roots of the Pognolobus reticulatus bush)
Brown: Wirdilwirdil (the red bulb of Haemadorum breviculae grass). Robyn’s fibre art sculptures are in many important museum collections including @ngvmelbourne . This fibre art work and many more are available online now 💛 #RobynNabegeyo #fibreart #injalakarts #backinjalak #naturaldyes
Don Namundja has painted a Mimih spirit hunting using beautiful ochres and clay from stone country. According to the Kunwinjku people of West Arnhem Land, Mimihs were the original spirit beings and taught Aboriginal people many of the skills they needed to survive in the bush along with ceremonies, dance and song. These spirits continue to live in rocks, trees and caves but are rarely seen by humans. They are frequently seen in the rock art of Arnhem Land as small, dynamic figures. They are usually shown with hunting weapons such as spears, woomeras, stone axes and digging sticks. Also often depicted are some of the spoils of the day – kangaroo, file snake, long yams, cheeky yams, and bush potato. #donnamundja #mimih #bushfood #painting #contemporaryart #injalakarts #backinjalak
Melebiga: Different Textures design by Sylvia Badari, Priscilla Badari & Lynne Nadjowh.
This design celebrates the techniques and skill that go into producing Kunwinjku fibre art. It’s a study of various textures and methods used by weavers such as twining, looping, knotting and coiling and also shows feathers. Melebiga design is based on real examples of patterns and weaving techniques used by Kunwinjku daluk (women) to make a range of items including dilly bags, string bags, baskets and sculptures. Many techniques used are ancient and were used to create objects depicted in rock art. During and since Anglican Mission times (1925 – 1975) Kunwinjku women have been expanding and experimenting with weaving techniques to create both functional objects and diverse, expressive art forms. Melebiga design expresses the women’s passion for their cultural heritage and their desire to extend it to new media. #injalakarts #screenprinting #differenttextures #melebiga
Injalak Curates: Graham Badari. This intricate and beautiful work indulges one of Graham Badari’s obsessions – Mayhmayh (Birds) of all kinds, their characters and behaviour. In this unique and verdant work Kikkik (Honeyeaters) are feeding on the nectar of Eucalyptus Miniata (Woolybutt) in the wet season, when the West Arnhem landscape becomes lush and green. Go to Injalak.com/curates to see the online exhibition of new works by Graham #backinjalak #grahambadari #stayconnected #onlineexhibition #contemporaryart #painting
Ezariah Kelly’s work is characterised by bold lines, a strong sense of design and high visual impact. During the dry season, Ezariah is an expert rock art guide, sharing knowledge with visitors on Injalak Hill. Ezariah is a keen hunter and fisherman with an eye for environmental phenomena, and his work often features inventive themes from the natural world and vignettes of everyday traditional life. Go to our website to see more of his works ❤️ #ezariahkelly #contemporaryart #painting #injalakarts #backinjalak
⭐️New earrings online now ⭐️ All our earrings are made with pandanus and natural dyes. Injalak.com/shop #backinjalak #jewellery #bushbling #injalakarts #fibreart
Graham Badari is working on a new bark painting, telling the story of Nawuroh the giant who placed himself as a painting and a rock in Kudjekbinj. You can see Graham Badari’s exhibition of new paintings online now, go to Injalak.com/curates #grahambadari #wip #barkpainting #injalakarts #stayconnected #backinjalak #onlineexhibition #sharingculture
Sneak peek: Christine Nabobbob is working on a special new fibre artwork. Christine has spent the past week harvesting pandanus and plants for the colours in preparation ❤️🖤💛 #wip #fibreart #naturaldyes #christinenabobbob #backinjalak #injalakarts
Injalak Curates: Graham Badari. Ngalkordow (brolgas, Grus rubicunda) have elaborate courtship displays with elegant dances, and can often be seen in pairs around billabongs and floodplains. They are known to like eating the corms of mankurladj (water chestnuts, Eleocharis dulcis) and the seeds of modjdje (spike rushes, Eleocharis sphacelata). Kunwinjku people hear them saying “kordorrk kordorrk kordorrk” as they fly overhead. See the online exhibition, go to Injalak.com/curates #backinjalak #stayconnected #grahambadari #onlineexhibition #contemporaryart #painting
New woven mat by Nell Naborlhborlh 💜 available online now 💜 A lovely example of a natural fibre weaving – ideal as an artwork for the wall or table.
This mat features numerous different 100% organic locally sourced dyes and is an outstanding example of design. A totally sustainably created and produced product #backinjalak #fibreart #nellnaborlhborlh #naturaldyes
Daisy Nabegeyo digging for Mandjurndum- ⭐️yellow colour #fibreart #naturaldyes #injalakarts #backinjalak