Garrawurra mindirr

Margaret Rarru is a senior artist, master weaver, and respected Elder. She was born at Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island), and now lives between her mother’s Country of Laŋarra (Howard Island) and Yurrwi (Milingimbi Island). Rarru is one of the most senior artists working through Milingimbi Art and Culture. She was taught to weave by her numa (aunties) when she was a young teenager at Galiwin’ku. Her ancestors have made mindirr (dilly bags) for ceremonial and everyday use for centuries and Rarru is currently ensuring that knowledge of weaving is passed to the younger generation within Milingimbi.

In this mindirr (dilly bag) Rarru utilises the designs painted onto the body during ceremony and weaves them into the mindirr. The individual lines are representations of different sites that the Djaŋ'kawu Sisters created on their journey across Country. Rarru varies the arrangement of these lines within her works, while also altering the use of colour. Here the bands of colour are equal and ordered, creating a brilliant effect whereby the natural pandanus intensifies the red and yellow of the dyed pandanus.