Australian Aboriginal painting on bark in ochre, charcoal and kaolin with natural binder by Djutjadjuta Mununggurr Djapu/Wandaway/Dhuwa. (b. ca.1935 - d.1999) Portraying sacred waterholes in traditional rarrk and iconography, on bark from a eucalyptus tree, secured by sticks on each end.

"The Djan'kawu brother and two sisters travelled from spirit island Burralku,
to Yalangbara on the east of Arnhemland, then North and West to Ramingining. As they traveled, they marked the country, leaving behind waterholes, species, sites and sacred objects. The Djank'kawu made the country rich and fertile."

Marked as Djutjadjuta Mununggurr on reverse by Nambara agent , well-known to those who follow Australian Aboriginal "bark" art. Djutadjuta was a winner of top honors in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award and is recognized as mastering the fine cross-hatching of the Yirrkala people. His work also benefited from the help with the fine cross-hatching rrark by his wife, Nonggirrnga Marawili.

“We should not imagine these paintings to be records of an historical or mythical past. For Marawili and her peers what happened in the distant past is still happening today and will continue to happen in the future. The land is alive with spiritual presences that must be respected by the artist. Different clans are assigned custodianship of particular motifs, which cannot be depicted by outsiders without permission.”

- John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald,
Jan 18, 2019 in reference to work by
Nonggirrna Marawili, Djutjadjuta's wife.

This work was done ca. 1989. Acquired personally at Nambara Art Center, Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia, in 1990.
38" x 19" #AGW724