Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ging artists. Living at Yilpara, in Arnhem Land's Blue Mud Bay, Djambawa is a
lifelong cultural activist and a renowned artist. For him 'the production of art is a
small part of a much bigger picture'.
He is a custodian for the spiritual/cultural welfare of his own and other related
clans, and is an activist and manager at the metaphorical border between non-indi-
genous people and the Yolngu (Aboriginal) people of northeast Arnhem Land.
Djambawa's visual culture is steeped in the traditions of the Ancestral Stories, in-
cluding that of Baru, the ancestral crocodile, and the fire that the crocodile carried
into the water of Blue Mud Bay. On being awarded the Order of Australia, Djam-
bawa stated:
'…the main thing I'd like Ngapaki (non-indigenous people) to understand is that
our art, the beautiful paintings, prints and sculptures people buy or see at galleries
around the world - this art is informed by our ancient traditions and culture that is
our life… Our homelands and art centres are our universities and art academies,
though they have almost no funding for this role. It's where our young people learn
our culture, all our songs, clan designs and patterns, dances, kinship, names and
stories. Our homelands are where we hold Ngarra, holy ceremonies that honour
our spiritual foundation on our land and sea country. These are really big gather-
ings that bring together people from many clans. It is where we go much more
deeply into our sacred places and lands. These ceremonies are what feeds our art,
makes it strong and lets it speak of what I am, who we are.
People can feel this in our art. The land cannot talk, but we can speak for it
through our artwork and reach across cultures. I hope this award will help to
strengthen the support and understanding of our artists, our traditions and our
culture and bring all Australians closer together.'
Djambawa Marawili is chairperson of Association of Northern, Kimberley and
Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA); chairperson of Buku Larrnggay Mulka, Yir-
rkala; Director of Arnhem Land Region, ANKAAA.
Rock Art of Arnhem Land & Kakadu
Arnhem Land, in the Top End of the NT, is an area of abundant, diverse artistic and cul-
tural heritage. Recent scientific discoveries have confirmed that rock paintings were be-
ing produced as long as 28,000 years ago, possibly up to 60,000 years, and some of the
rock art galleries in the huge sandstone Arnhem Land plateau are at least 18,000 years
old.
The rock art (pictographs, petroglyphs, stencils, prints, beeswax and geoglyphs) of
Arnhem Land depicts ancestral stories for the many language groups and clans of the re-
gion, with stylised designs, often hatched and
rarrk
(cross-hatched), of ancestral beings,
spirits, totems, and cultural exchanges with Macassans. The Macassans were Indonesian
