Gurka'wuy
Artist:
Boliny Wanambi
(Marrakulu / Australian, born 1957)
Place made:Australia
General region:Oceania
Date: 2007
Medium: Earth pigments on bark
Dimensions:
h. 46 7/8 in. (119 cm); w. 10 5/8 in. (27 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of the Lam Family
Object number: 2016.14.6
Copyright: © Boliny Wanambi
Label Text
Gurka’wuy recounts the story of Wuyal, the ancestral sugarbag man of the Marrakulu language group. A central sacred site for the Marrakulu people, Gurka’wuy River leads out to Trial Bay, a body of water known for its turbulence, and here represented by the erratic, zigzagging V-shaped designs. Wuyal created both Gurka’wuy River and Trial Bay by cutting down trees and splitting them open for honey (or sugarbag), as represented by the dots within the central rectangle of the painting. Wuyal’s dilly bag is also depicted in the center of the work.
(Exhibition label, 2017)
(Exhibition label, 2017)
Not on view
In Collection(s)
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
