Guḏultja with sand from Yalanba

Art Centre documentation for this work states:
“A set of three rocks stand in the mouth of Trial Bay submerged either completely or partially within its waters. The waters of Gurka’wuy River flow out through Trial Bay past these rocks conflicting and clashing in a turbulent unity with the incoming tidal waters from the deep ocean. Their names, rarely spoken, are Dundiwuy, Bamurruŋu, and Yipirr.

Yalanba is the name of the place where the shiny black sand that adorns this pole comes from. The sand occurs in one spot only at Bayapula near Garthalala on Caledon Bay. Her brother is named after the site … Dhambit can harvest it from this place because that area belongs to her clan, the Marrakulu, whose identity is depicted in this work. She also pays a tribute to the Elder at Garthalala who is from the grandmother of this place – it’s märi, the Djapu clan. The place described in the work is a separate Marrakulu estate which has the same relationship to the Djapu. It is at the mouth of Trial Bay to the south of Caledon Bay.

The sacred and monolithic rock Bamurruŋu lies in the mouth of this bay submerged in its waters. In manikay (sacred song) it is sun to be surrounded by the Buku-Duŋgulmirri or Wawurritjpal (sea mullet) fish. Yolŋu of this area speak of a hole submerged under the rocks, from where bubbles are seen rising to the surface, sometimes bursting forth with a rush. The bubbles are seen as a life force and a direct Ancestral connection for the Marrakulu.

When the Marrakulu perform rituals (buŋgul) for the events depicted in this painting participants move towards a held spear representing the steadfastness of the rock, splitting the dancers, who then surround the rock known as Bamurruŋu, moving as does the sea to song and rhythm of Yiḏaki and Bilma.

Bamurruŋu is a spiritual focus for an alliance of clans who share identity connected with the felling of the stringybark tree. Wuyal, the Ancestral Sugarbag Man, while bing in Marrakulu clan Country, cut the sacred Wanambi (hollowed stringybark tree) looking for native honey. Its falling path gouged the course for the Gurka’wuy River that has flowed ever since into Trial Bay. The hollow long’s movements in and out with the tides and currents completing the kinship connections of the various waters are the subject of ritual song and dance of this Country. The Marrakulu sing these events (with other clans) during ceremony associated with the Wawalak myth. In other clan’s lands, these actions were repeated.

These groups dance songs of honey, flowing like rivers of freshwater, from fonts deep in the saltwater under the rock. The rivers belong to these clans, the Marrakulu, Golumala, Marrangu and Wawilak flow (spiritually) towards this rock. But, the design in this work takes the flow of the water and songs one step further: to an estate known as Guḏultja, where these honey-imbued saltwaters meet with the ocean flowing into the bay.

This painting depicts the water clashing, as it plays and mingles with that of the Djapu and Dhäpuyŋu clans. This Balamunu oceanic salt water rushing into the bay creates eddies, currents and patterns that delineate the relationship between the Djapu and Marrakulu clans. This relationship is referred to as Märi-Gutharra. The maternal grandmother clan and its granddaughter. These waters are in this relationship as well. This is known as the ‘backbone’. One of the key relationships in a complex kinship system whose reciprocal duties are most powerful. These clans are both Dhuwa and share responsibilities for circumcising and burying each others clan members. A matriarchal analysis of the world that governs the behaviour of both sexes equally.

The Yolŋu hand sign for this relationship is to tap the top of one’s spine. It is the supporting skeleton of all relationships through the endless infinite line of the women’s bodies.”

Dhambit #2 Wanambi was an emerging artist working through Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka in Yirrkala. She came from a distinguished artistic dynasty which includes her father Mithili Wanambi, along with her brothers and sisters Wukun Wanambi, Ralwurrandji Wanambi, Boliny Wanambi and Baŋgawuy Wanambi. From a young age, Wanambi was inspired to follow her family’s successes as individual practicing artists. Prior to her death, Wanambi achieved success with her limited exhibitions, including ‘Gurrutu’ for Tarnanthi, the Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art held at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Tarntanya/Adelaide in 2019.