Wan'kurra (Bandicoots)

The diamond motifs in his works represent gurtha, the sacred fire of the Gumatj clan. The colors red, white, black, and yellow signify flame, smoke and ash, charcoal, and earth, while also corresponding to the skin, fat, bone, and blood of the human body. According to ancestral narratives, fire was brought by Bäru, the ancestral crocodile, to Madarrpa Country, where it transformed into a saltwater crocodile before spreading northward into Gumatj Country. In traditional songs, ancestral beings—including the crocodile, quail, bandicoot, spider, cockatoo, red kangaroo, scrubfowl, and dugong—recount their encounters with the sacred fire and the ancestral events associated with it.

Special Thanks: This work was made possible through the generous support of Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre and Tolarno Galleries.