Waŋupini
Waŋupini (clouds) is the same story as my father taught me about the sunset. The sun is going down. The sunset on the clouds is like the red sails of the Makassan's ships leaving at the end of the season. We cry because the Makassans are leaving.
The mokuy (spirit) is dancing and leaving - the body is dead and the sprit is going to Balambala. This is Yirritja bäpurru (ceremony), the same as my Grandfather, Yaŋgarriny - this is his manikay (song):
The sun will rise again. The Makassans will come back. And the spirit will return. My father, who passed away, taught me this story. He taught me how to paint the story of Waŋupini.
- Paper: Hahnemuhle
- Dimensions: 69cm x 49cm (paper size), 50 x 32.5cm (image size)
- Cat No. 9169-22-12/40
Bulthirrirri (b. 1981) is an emerging artist and the daughter (by Yolngu law) of great painter and sculpter Nawurapu Wunuŋmurra (dec). Under the guidance of her father (recently deceased) Bulthirrirri is following and maintaining her families rich artistic heritage through her own hand.
Bulthirrirri is also the granddaughter of Yaŋgarriny, great Dhaḻwaŋu clan artist and leader who was a painter of the Yirrkala Church Panels and winner of the best bark prize in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander art awards in 1997. Balthirrirri has assisted other artists at the Dhaḻwaŋu homeland of Gåṉgaṉ and began making artworks on her own in late 2007. Since then she has explored numerous innovative styles of her own devise. In 2008-9 she was elected to the management committee of the art centre. Following the death of her father Nawurapu she assumed responsibility for the creation of art in his themes.
Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre is the Indigenous community controlled art centre of Northeast Arnhem Land. Located in Yirrkala, a small Aboriginal community on the northeastern tip of the Top End of the Northern Territory, approximately 700km east of Darwin. The primarily Yolŋu (Aboriginal) staff of around twenty services Yirrkala and the approximately twenty-five homeland centres in the radius of 200km.
Today Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre now consists of two divisions; the Yirrkala Art Centre which represents Yolŋu artists exhibiting and selling contemporary art and The Mulka Project which acts as a digital production studio and archiving centre incorporating the museum.
Laundry Gallery is currently closed for the holidays. All online orders will be processed and shipped after 25 January, 2025. Local pick up may be available earlier, please contact us to request.
We pack all artworks securely to protect during shipping. Items valued over $100 are insured for damage during transit. Artworks less then one metre are generally sent insured via Australia Post, unless they are particularly fragile. Artworks longer than one metre are sent via Pack n Send.