Leanne Namarnyilk
Leanne Namarnyilk – 'Namarnkol (Barramundi)'
Nabang Country.
"Namarnkol, the Barramundi, is a very important fish for us Bininj (Aboriginal people). Barramundi are found in the ocean, in floodwaters, and in freshwater billabongs, rivers and creeks. In the old days, people used to spear them with djalakirradj (three-pronged fish spears) and walabi (traditional triangular nets). Nowadays, we catch them with fishing lines and modern nets." Barramundi are most easily caught from the end of the monsoon (March -April) until the humid “build up” season (October-November). There are Barramundi Dreaming sites in lots of clan countries, where the ancestral Barramundi placed itself as a Dreaming. Men and women will say "my Dreaming is Barramundi, it placed itself in my Country."
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Leanne Namarnyilk is the niece of renowned and celebrated artist Jimmy Kalarriya Namarnyilk. The strong innovative and artistic strength lies within her and her sister's family. Namarnyilk and her sisters learnt how to weave from her mother, growing up between her mother’s Country in Korlobidahdah and fathers Country of Nabang. Her innovation has lead her and her sisters to weave incredible 3D fibre artworks, usually of different fish found in billabongs around Kakadu and West Arnhem Land.
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YARN
July 1 – September 16
Curated by Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis
Brad Webb, Carissa Gurwalwal, Corben Mudjandi, Kim Ah Sam, Leanne Namarnyilk, Nicholas Currie and Tarryn Love.
Storytelling is central to Aboriginal culture. It is rooted in Country, family, and spirit. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been storytellers for millennia, passing knowledge from one generation to the next.
Presented as part of NAIDOC week, YARN connects to this year's theme, 'For Our Elders.' Elders are the advocates, trailblazers, knowledge holders, guides and pillars of our communities. They have fought for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, ensuring the survival of the longest-living culture in the world. They are the reason we are able to thrive and be proud of who we are.
YARN brings together the work of seven Indigenous makers. Woven within each artist's practice are the stories, lived experiences, knowledges and relational connections to Country. This exhibition draws on important oral histories and the significance of knowledge sharing through conversation and listening. Each artist is an agent of their voice, speaking to the gravity of arts practice as a form of storytelling.
Material: Pandanus (Pandanus Spiralis) and Bush Cane (Flagellaria Indica) with Natural Dyes
Dimensions: 180 x 45 x 30cm
Cat. no:2998-22