Malaluba Gumana

(centre two lorrkons)

Dhatam, 2009

Larrakitj, 152cm
Provenance: Buku-Larrangay Mulka, Yirrkala.

Dhatam, 2013

Bark painting, 24cm x 57cm
Provenance: Buku-Larrangay Mulka, Yirrkala.

Untitled

Larrakitj, 222cm
Provenance: Buku-Larrangay Mulka, Yirrkala.

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Gängan artist, Malaluba Gumana primarily paints her mother’s Galpu clan designs of diatom (waterlily), djari (rainbow), djaykun (filesnake) and wititij (olive python). She works spontaneously and has been growing the size and complexity of her works under the guidance of her art centre in the Arnhem Land. Gumana is an expert in the use of marwat- the cross hatching technique using a ‘hair brush’. She was the winner of the 2013 NATSIAA Best Bark category (1).

From the authenticity certificate: This painting represents Garrimala, a billabong near the artist’s residence, the Dhalwanu clan homeland at Gangan. It is a sacred sit for the artists’ mother’s Galpu clan. Wititij is the all powerful rainbow serpent (olive python) that traveled through Galpu clan lands and on further, during the days of early times called Wanarr. In the mortuary ceremony for Galpu, the slithering line of dancers take on the form of Wititij and coil in the sand searching for their place. As the spirit comes to rest it adopts of the metaphor of a python setting its head into the fork in the tree, known as Galmak, the final resting place of Wititij.

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