Gabriella Barunga (1960) “Wandjina the rainmaker”
Gabriella Barunga (1960) “Wandjina the rainmaker”
Painting acrylic on canvas
45 x 45cm (18-149)
This Wandjina is called the rainmaker. Two lightning spirits in a cave are waiting for the clouds to gather up, so he can make the rain and lightning. Where you see a lot of Wandjinas they represent the laws of trees, rivers, rocks, bush fruit, animals and all of creation. The Wandjinas give the law on how we have to treat and use these creations. These customs are carried on today. The Wandjina spirits are highly respected by the Worrora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people who live at Mowanjum and up the Gibb River Road to Kalumburru in the North West Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Cultural Centre is a creative hub for the Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbal tribes, who make up the Mowanjum community outside Derby, Western Australia.
These three language groups are united by their belief in the Wandjina as a sacred spiritual force and the creators of the land. They are the custodians of Wandjina law and iconography.
The centre hosts exhibitions, workshops and community projects, as well as the annual Mowanjum Festival, one of Australia’s longest running indigenous cultural festivals.