Clouds, Stringray and Cuttlefish, c.1970

104 x 34.5 cm

Est. $2,500 – $4,500

Hammer $1,700

Provenance: Purchased Arnhem Land, NT Fireworks Gallery, Qld Private Collection, Vic
Artwork story: This painting by Liwukang Bukulatjpi, brother of David Burrumarra, draws together elemental forces -clouds, stingrays, and cuttlefish - linking sky, sea, and ceremony. Each motif carries its own cosmological charge: clouds signal the monsoon and ancestral breath; stingray and cuttlefish as totems, hunters, and beings of transformation. Rendered with clarity and poise, the composition suggests the interdependence of marine and weather systems - a foundational theme in Yolngu cosmology. The artist is rooted in the Djamarrpuynu clan tradition, and this painting reflects that inheritance. Liwukang Bukulatjpi's work, though less commonly seen in the market than his brother's, offers a refined and grounded perspective on coastal mythologies, with layered detail that rewards both aesthetic appreciation and cultural inquiry.

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Sale 1 · Lot 26

Liwukang Bukulatjpi

c.1927 – 2007

104 x 34.5 cm

Est. $2,500 – $4,500

Hammer $1,700

Provenance: Purchased Arnhem Land, NT Fireworks Gallery, Qld Private Collection, Vic
Artwork story: This painting by Liwukang Bukulatjpi, brother of David Burrumarra, draws together elemental forces -clouds, stingrays, and cuttlefish - linking sky, sea, and ceremony. Each motif carries its own cosmological charge: clouds signal the monsoon and ancestral breath; stingray and cuttlefish as totems, hunters, and beings of transformation. Rendered with clarity and poise, the composition suggests the interdependence of marine and weather systems - a foundational theme in Yolngu cosmology. The artist is rooted in the Djamarrpuynu clan tradition, and this painting reflects that inheritance. Liwukang Bukulatjpi's work, though less commonly seen in the market than his brother's, offers a refined and grounded perspective on coastal mythologies, with layered detail that rewards both aesthetic appreciation and cultural inquiry.