Jeremiah has painted Mimih spirits fishing at a kulabbarl, which is what we Bininj (Aboriginal people) call a billabong, where the flow of a river is blocked and builds up in the rain. Lots of fish are concentrated there, especially when the water starts to recede in the dry season. At the edges of the painting, beside the Mimih figures, Jeremiah has painted manmakkawarri (catfish) and a wakih (freshwater prawn). In the centre of the painting are two big namarnkol (barramundi) and kedjebe (filesnake) and below them is a burarr (water goanna). The Mimih figures, which were the original spirit beings that taught bininj many of the skills they needed to survive, are surrounded by their tools; pronged spears (mandanj), djerrh (dilly bags), borndok (spear thrower) and karramalk (stone axe).

Jeremiah uses a manyilk (traditional sedge brush) to paint the extremely fine cross hatching pattern, known as rarrk. Kunwinjku artists have used single line rarrk on the rock art galleries of western Arnhem Land for thousands of years. Cross hatching was traditionally used for ceremonial purposes but is now used by artists working on bark and paper.

Manbu kulabbarl ngarriyime bu kudjewk mandjewk nawern kadjakdungwanjh kabore kore mankabo. Wanjh bu kabongurdme kabodadjmewanjh kamarnbun manlabbarl. Kumekke djenj kadjaldi kore kulabbarl.Kulabbarl karri djenj yiman burd marrngunj wakih kedjebe ngalmangiyikore kulabbarlyahwurd. Dja kore kulabbarlkimuk ngarrire ngarrimangnamarnkol kuluybirr manmakkawarri yika ngarrinan kinga kayo kore.

This painting needs to be framed or stretched. It’s also being sent direct from the artist at a remote art centre, Injalak Arts, in Arnhem Land, NT. Please note there is only one mail plane a week that takes the artwork to Gunbalanya. The tracking information is then received a week later when the mail plane returns so often the paintings are delivered before we receive the tracking information. Please expect a slightly longer wait for this very special artwork to arrive.