Michael has painted Kulabbarl scene 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. In the centre of the image is a kumoken (freshwater crocodile). We use two names for the freshwater crocodile - “kumoken” and “modjarrki”. Kumoken is the long nosed crocodile, different from the short nosed kinga (saltwater crocodile). They don't bite people. They eat small prey such as rats, fish, prawns and frogs. Swimming beside the kumoken is namarnkol (barramundi) and namarddakka (nailfish).
Michael paints in the classic kunwinjku style of single-line rarrk (hatching). The billabong creatures have been painted in x-ray style,with their bones and internal organs showing. This is the same waykunwinjku artists have painted on the rock walls that surround Gunbalanya for thousands of years.
ngarringeybun bokenh kunngey, birribuyika kabirri-ngeybun modjarrkki,kumoken - nakka kebyahwurd - minj kinga. Nakka kebdjumbung.Kumoken minj kanbaye - larrk. Kumoken karrinan kubolkwarlahkenkubolkwern, kumoken karrinan kore kahbo-rlobme, dja kore kaddumkore kuwardehwarde. karrinan kakukdayo kore manwodj kukorlhkuwardde dja kore kukadjid, Kumuken kayo kore kukku kubowinjku,kore manlabbarl, mankabo. Kumuken kangun nawu mayh kilekilelh,mulbbu, djenj, wakih, kordbolbok. Kumuken namak mayh bungarringun. Korroko dabborrabbolk birribuni, birrikerribuni, wanjh
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.