PROVENANCE
Mimi Aboriginal Arts and Crafts, Katherine NT Cat No. BR15100
ARTWORK STORY
Stephen Wurraki, a member of the Warramiri clan of Elcho Island, painted scenes that embody the maritime world of his community.
The Warramiri, seafaring people of north-east 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 "Whale Bones" 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.
COMMUNITY/REGION
Elcho Island, NT
LANGUAGE
Yolngu
PROVENANCE
Mimi Aboriginal Arts and Crafts, Katherine NT Cat No. BR15100
ARTWORK STORY
Stephen Wurraki, a member of the Warramiri clan of Elcho Island, painted scenes that embody the maritime world of his community.
The Warramiri, seafaring people of north-east 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 "Whale Bones" 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.
COMMUNITY/REGION
Elcho Island, NT
LANGUAGE
Yolngu
