Bäru story
1990
Medium
earth pigments on Stringybark (Eucalyptus sp.)
Measurements
113.6 × 70.7 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased from Admission Funds, 1990
© The Estate of Nancy Gaymala Yunupingu, courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre, Yirrkala
Gallery location
Gallery 2
Ground Level, NGV Australia
About this work
Gaymala, who was the daughter of Muŋurrawuy and sister to Galarrwuy and Mandawuy Yunupiŋu, began painting in the 1990s. She was one of the first women to paint on bark, which was once exclusively the domain of men. Depicted are two Ancestral beings known as Bäru – the crocodile. For Yolŋu people, Bäru is a profoundly important animal and totem. Central to many Ancestral stories, Bäru is the carrier of gurtha (fire) and is connected to a special and powerful story belonging to the Gumatj people.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Gunyangara, Northern Territory
Accession Number
O.112-1990
Department
First Nations Australia
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation