Gukuwal (Reef Fish), c.1990

54 x 114 cm

Est. $1,500 – $3,000

Hammer $1,000

Provenance: Elcho Island Arts, Galiwin’ku, Northern Territory Framed Darwin, Anne Phelan (Director), Cat No. 3460EAB Private Collection, Albany NY
Artwork story: Stephen Wurraki, a member of the Warramiri clan of Elcho Island, painted scenes that embody the maritime world of his community. In this bark painting, a rhythmic procession of reef fish, known as Gukuwal, is rendered in fine cross-hatching with ochres of yellow, white, and black. The dotted passages represent bubbles of air rising through the water as schools of fish swim in unison. The Warramiri, seafaring people of northeast Arnhem Land, have long histories of engagement with the sea — voyaging across the Wessel Islands, trading with Macassan sailors, and maintaining Dreaming narratives tied to the ocean’s abundance. Wurraki’s depiction of Gukuwal situates his work firmly within this tradition: a visual articulation of ecological knowledge and ancestral law, in which marine life is inseparable from identity, sustenance, and ceremony.

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Sale 2 · Lot 28

54 x 114 cm

Est. $1,500 – $3,000

Hammer $1,000

Provenance: Elcho Island Arts, Galiwin’ku, Northern Territory Framed Darwin, Anne Phelan (Director), Cat No. 3460EAB Private Collection, Albany NY
Artwork story: Stephen Wurraki, a member of the Warramiri clan of Elcho Island, painted scenes that embody the maritime world of his community. In this bark painting, a rhythmic procession of reef fish, known as Gukuwal, is rendered in fine cross-hatching with ochres of yellow, white, and black. The dotted passages represent bubbles of air rising through the water as schools of fish swim in unison. The Warramiri, seafaring people of northeast Arnhem Land, have long histories of engagement with the sea — voyaging across the Wessel Islands, trading with Macassan sailors, and maintaining Dreaming narratives tied to the ocean’s abundance. Wurraki’s depiction of Gukuwal situates his work firmly within this tradition: a visual articulation of ecological knowledge and ancestral law, in which marine life is inseparable from identity, sustenance, and ceremony.