Donna BAILEY<br/>
<em>Lush</em> (2002) <!-- (recto) --><br />

type C photograph<br />
50.3 x 65.0 cm irreg. (image) 61.7 x 76.2 cm irreg. (sheet)<br />
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne<br />
Purchased with funds arranged by Loti Smorgon for Contemporary Australian Photography, 2006<br />
2006.295<br />
© Donna Bailey
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Anniebell Marrngamarrnga
Yawkyawk
2007

Medium
natural dyes on pandanus (Pandanus sp.) and bamboo

Measurements
264.7 × 122.0 × 6.0 cm

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Mark Chapman, 2008

Gallery location
Gallery 13
Level 3, NGV Australia

About this work

This woven figure represents a yawkyawk or young female spirit. Yawkyawks are usually represented with a fish tail and long hair, which is associated with trailing blooms of green algae. They are sometimes compared with the European notion of mermaids, because these spiritual beings live in the cool freshwater streams and rock pools in the western Arnhem land plateau known as the Stone Country. This yawkyawk carries two babies beautifully woven into her swollen abdomen. Their pale, open-mouthed faces contrast with the swirling optical rows of pink, yellow and orange bands of woven rarrk, like crosshatching in a bark painting.