21. Guku, 2018 (21/25)
"Every season come the time for guku season, the Yolngu here whether from Yirrkala or all over Arnhem land) they know it it guku time when we see the flowers of the stringybark starting to bud then people men or women they get ready to get their rupa (billycan) ga axe and ask any families to go out into the bush to look for the guku.
Yolngu people know by seeing the bees flying around and going in and out of the ngurru (nose) whether is Dhuwa or Yirrijta guku. When people find guku they tell each other that this tree has guku in the tree and get ready to cut it down to harvest the guku. People are happy because they can cut to get the guku out. They eat it and feel happy as they go home. This is a good time for hunting - guku time. Yolngu people have old songs dances about guku and also make new songs."
- Etching on paper
- Dimensions: 29.5 x 19.2cm artwork on 48.1 x 36.5cm paper
- Cat No. 3479-18-21/25
- Homeland: Waṉḏawuy
- Clan: Djapu, Balamumu
- Moiety: Dhuwa
Nyaluŋ was a stylistic innovator who pioneered the etching back of screenprint fields to create a novel and exciting style, which has been followed by many artists. Her first two larrakitj were each technically innovative and unique. She was the first to follow the wood grain with purely decorative lines. The first to use the etching back technique in ochre. The first to make etched marks in wet paint in screenprint and the first to place designs directly onto unpainted larrakitj.
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.
In the 1960’s, Narritjin Maymuru set up his own beachfront gallery from which he sold art that now graces many major museums and private collections. He is counted among the art centre’s main inspirations and founders, and his picture hangs in the museum. His vision of Yolŋu-owned business to sell Yolŋu art that started with a shelter on a beach has now grown into a thriving business that exhibits and sells globally.
Today Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre 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.
On standard shipping, our fulfilment time is 7 business days. For urgent orders, please select express post and we will generally fulfil within 2 business days. We are a very small team and shipping from Darwin can take some time. Thanks for your patience!
We pack all artworks securely to protect during shipping. All artworks and purchase above $100 are insured against damage during transit and require a signature on delivery. A tracking number is be provided as part of our shipping process to the contact details you provide.
As much as possible (for artworks under 1 metre) we use Australia Post to ship our artworks within Australia. For artworks that are large or fragile, we use Pack n Send to courier the artworks to you. For customers who purchase multiple artworks at once, we can get quotes to send your purchase via the regular shuttle between Darwin and major capital cities.
We do our best to provide accurate shipping costs on our website at check out, however every item for sale in our gallery is unique and as such, it is sometimes difficult to automate and estimate our shipping costs, especially when customers purchase more than one artwork at once. Our team reviews the postage paid on every order and on the odd occasion we have significantly overcharged or undercharged you, our team will be in contact to rectify. If you have any concerns, or you would like a custom shipping quote on an artwork, send us a note.
International customer? Please contact us to arrange a quote.
Visiting Darwin or a local? Local pick up available during normal opening hours.