Gawarrk (Woman turned into rock) (from the Duyfken: The Aboriginal Print Portfolio)

Djalinda (Dulamari) YUNUPINGU: artist
Australian Print Workshop Inc: printer

No image available

Not On Display

About the work

"Nobody knows where the miyalk (woman) named Gawarrk came from. She wasn't Macassan, European or Yolŋu (Aboriginal). She was from an unknown people. She swam from Dhambaliya (Bremer Island) where my family lives now, towards Gutjangan, our homeland, to Banupanuwuy and then to Bolulawuy, where the barge landing is now. Here she danced with the two swords which broke when she hit them together. The swords fell into the water and the miyalk turned into the rock called Gawarrk. The dance that Gawarrk did on the beach with the swords is done in Yirritja Ceremonies today. Some of the places at Dhambaliya are Yirritja, but mostly Dhuwa land and sea. The anchor indicates that Dhambaliya has abundant freshwater". Extracted from AGSNW website 26Jan2021 - acc:204.2007.3
Title
Gawarrk (Woman turned into rock) (from the Duyfken: The Aboriginal Print Portfolio)
Artist/Maker and role
Djalinda (Dulamari) YUNUPINGU: artist
Australian Print Workshop Inc: printer
Date
2006
Medium
Linocut in two colours from two blocks on Velin Arches 250gsm paper in collectors box
Measurements
40 x 60cm (image)
56 x 76cm (sheet)
Credit line
Gift of Wesfarmers Limited, 2007
© Djalinda (Dulamari) Yunupingu,2006
The State Art Collection, The Art Gallery of Western Australia
Accession number
2007/0322.2

This is one of the prints in our collection.

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