Michael has painted two namarnkol swimming among mandem (waterlily). Namarnkol, the barramundi, is a very important fish for us Bininj (Aboriginal people). Barramundi are found in the ocean, in floodwaters, and in freshwater billabongs, rivers and creeks. In the old days, people used to spear them with djalakirradj (three-pronged fishspears) and walabi (traditional triangular nets). Nowadays, we catch them with fishing lines and modern nets. Barramundi are most easily caught from the end of the monsoon (March -April) until the humid“build up” season (October-November). There are Barramundi Dreaming sites in lots of clan countries, where the ancestral Barramundi placed itself as a Dreaming. Men and women will say “My Dreaming is Barramundi, it placed itself in my country”.
Michael paints in the classic kunwinjku style of single-line rarrk (hatching). The namarnkol have also been painted in x-ray style, with their bones and internal organs showing. This is the same way kunwinjku artists have painted on the rock walls that surround Gunbalanya for thousands of years.
Nawu Namarnkol djenj nakka wanjh nadjalkuken djenj ngadberrenawu ngarrikukburlerri dja birrikukbele. Namarnkol kare kore kurrulayika kabirriyime kore mibokala dja kukku kubowinjku kore mankabomanlabbarl manwanjdjad. Bu korroko birridanjbuni djalakkiradj djawalabi birrimangi. Dja bolkkime wanjh wakkidj karrimang djabalandakenh nawu walabi. Namarkol djang kadjangdi 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.