Mawalan Marika
(Australia circa 1908–26 Nov 1967)
- Language group
- Rirratjingu, Arnhem region
- Title
- Djan'kawu creation story, from the series Djan'kawu story
- Other titles:
- Djanggawo Creation Story
Djang'kawu Creation Story
Djanggawul Creation Story
Djanggawo Creation Story
Djanggawull Creation Story
Djang'kawu story no. 5 - Place of origin
-
Yirrkala →
North-east Arnhem Land →
Northern Territory →
Australia
- Year
- 1959
- Media category
- Bark painting
- Materials used
- natural pigments on bark
- Dimensions
-
188.0 x 64.8cm (irreg.)
- Signature & date
- Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Gift of Dr Stuart Scougall 1959
- Accession number
- IA68.1959
- Copyright
- © Mawalan Marika. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
bottom: At Arnhem Bay - the life cycle of the Djan'kawu Sisters. The women's blood is represented on the two circles at left. On the right side the large circle represents the flow of water, the two smaller circles, the placenta. They are shown with strings tying their legs back. The four separate circular shapes in this section represent the sacred conical mats for the female children.
lower left: This section shows the sacred objects (rangga). Eight were planted to make shade for the children. Four other rangga (djuda trees) are shown growing at the extreme left in Ngaymil country.
lower right: A place at Arnhem Bay where the two Sisters and Djan'kawu watch a sunrise and sunset that can be seen in the two panels on the extreme right. Djan'kawu is urinating.
upper: Depicts a site near Milingimbi The two sisters give birth to the people of Milingimbi. The yellow figures are men and boys, the black figures women and girls. The placenta of one of the women is also depicted.
top left: At Galiwin'ku (Elcho Island). After death the spirits of the Djan'kawu sisters receive new names. The circle in the centre is a swamp. The lines on either side depict lily leaves. The red background behind the sisters represents their grave. After this they go to the spirit land.
top right: Depicts Djan'kawu at Yalangbara (Port Bradshaw). The sacred rangga with feathered pendants is shown. Djan'kawu (also identified in the original documentation as Mawalan, the artist) is shown looking at the rangga and singing. The cross-hatching in this section represents earth and grass.
© Information provided by the artist
Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2000
- Bibliography (17)
-
'National Portrait Gallery' by Claire Armstrong, pg. 64-69., Art World (issue 6) Dec 2008-Jan 2009, Dec 2008-Jan 2009, 68 (colour illus.), 69. Open Air: Portraits in the Landscape review.
Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection, Sydney, 2008, 30, 31 (colour illus.).
Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Sarah Engledow (Australia) (Author), Wally Caruana (Australia) (Author), Open air: portraits in the landscape, Sydney, 2008, 6, 9 (colour illus.), 15. NOTE: Photograph of the artist, Mawalan Marika appears on page 8.
Margie West (Australia) (Editor), Yalangbara: art of the Djang'kawu, Darwin, 2008, 69 (colour illus.).
Hetti Perkins (Australia) (Author), Margie West (Australia) (Author), Theresa Willsteed (Editor), One sun one moon: Aboriginal art in Australia, Sydney, 2007, 77 (colour illus.).
Hetti Perkins (Australia) (Author), Theresa Willsteed (Editor), Tradition today: Indigenous art in Australia, Domain, 2004, 78, 79 (colour illus.).
Dynasties: the Marika family 2003, 2003, (colour illus.). This episode of 'Dynasties' was first screened on ABC television on Monday 1 December 2003 at 8:00pm.
Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Australian art, Oxford, 2001, 192-193, 194 (illus.). plate no. 112
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 13 (colour illus.), 301.
Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Domain, 1999, 212 (colour illus.).
Hetti Perkins (Australia) (Author), Ken Watson (Australia) (Author), A material thing - objects from the collection, Sydney, 1999, 6.
David Leeming (Author), David Leeming (Author), Margaret Leeming (Author), Encyclopedia of Creation Myths, 1994, (illus.).
Margo Neale (Australia) (Author), Yiribana: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collection, Sydney, 1994, 38, 39 (colour illus.), 137, 139.
Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, Sydney, 1994, 93 (colour illus.).
Yiribana 1994, 1994, 6 (colour illus.).
Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook, Domain, 1988, 60, 61 (colour illus.).
Tony Tuckson (Egypt; England; Australia, b.1921, d.1973) (Author), Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, Sydney, 1960, 12, 23 (illus.), 28. cat.no. 71; plate 12
- Exhibition history (15)
-
Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 17 Aug 1960–18 Sep 1960.
Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, Queensland Art Gallery, Oct 1960–Oct 1960.
Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, National Gallery of Victoria [Swanston Street], Nov 1960–Dec 1960.
Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, Western Australian Art Gallery, Feb 1961–Mar 1961.
Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, National Gallery of South Australia, Apr 1961–Apr 1961.
Australian Aboriginal art: bark paintings, carved figures, sacred and secular objects: an exhibition arranged by the State art galleries of Australia, 1960-1961, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, May 1961–Jun 1961.
Gamarada, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 15 Nov 1996–16 Feb 1997.
A material thing - Objects from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 31 Aug 1998–09 Feb 1999.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
Yalangbara, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 11 May 2006–23 Jul 2006.
One sun, one moon, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 03 Jul 2007–02 Dec 2007.
Open Air: Portraits in the landscape, National Portrait Gallery [Parliamentary Zone], 04 Dec 2008–01 Mar 2009.
Yalangbara: art of the Djang'kawu, National Museum of Australia, Canberra, 09 Dec 2010–25 Sep 2011.
Yalangbara: art of the Djang'kawu, Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, 26 Nov 2011–17 Jun 2012.
Yalangbara: art of the Djang'kawu, Western Australian Museum, 17 Nov 2012–24 Feb 2013.
