• Ŋaraka (Bones)
  • Ŋaraka (Bones)
  • Ŋaraka (Bones)

Wally Wilfred

Ŋaraka (Bones)

  

"This is a painting of a mokuy (spirit) from the Dhuwa moiety. Djuwaḻpaḏa is its name. The mokuy lives in a cave on our country but nobody has ever seen it before. It travelled everywhere that spirit singing and sharing songlines. It is really important for us Wägilak people because we use these songs for ceremony and funerals. In this painting you can see the tools it carried with it on its travels (dilly bag, wumera, spear, clapsticks). This one has sharp teeth too. In the olden days they used to only paint on bark with 3 colours, but I like to use bright colours." – Wally Wilfred

  • Acrylic paint on paper
  • Dimensions: 76cm x 56cm
  • Cat No. 152-23

Wally Wilfred is a Wägilak man. His skin name is Wamut and his country is Ŋilipidji, near Blue Mud Bay. He was born at Mountain Valley, and he walked, ḻukudhu (on foot), with his family from there to Ngukurr and Numbulwar. Since 2003, Wally Wilfred has been associated with Ngukurr Art Centre. Developing a unique style, Wally brings together traditional techniques with bold and contemporary use of colour. Continuing in the footsteps of his grandfather Sambo Barra Barra, Wally’s work explores traditional and present day culture with history and storytelling. Wally paints on paper, ŋaḏan (bark) and dharpa (wood). He makes cultural artefacts from dubal (Leichhardt tree) and bulgut (kurrajong). He is also a keen sculptor, working with wood and found objects. Wally’s sculptures continue in the same path as his paintings. They tell stories, sometimes about culture, sometimes about the effect the munanga (white fella) have had on his people and country since they first arrived with their poisons; sugar, tobacco and beer.


Ngukurr Art Centre sits a stone’s throw from the banks of the Roper River in Ngukurr, South East Arnhem Land. The Art Centre, like the town of Ngukurr, is unique – bringing together people of many different clans and language groups including Ngalakgan, Alawa, Mangarrayi, Ngandi, Marra, Warndarrang, Nunggubuyu, Ritharrngu-Wägilak and Rembarrnga. Together these clans are known as Yugul Mangi.


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