
Meŋa Munuŋgurr | Djapu’ Clan Design
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More Info
According to Meŋa, the grid pattern is the sacred design of the freshwaters of the Djapu clan. The pattern refers to their homeland at Wandawuy. Wandawuy is surrounded by freshwater from the rain created by Bol’ŋu the thunderman and serves as home to Mäna (the shark). The grid can be seen in the billabong landscape of the region. It also points to the woven fish traps made by the Djapu people. Since ancestral times, the region has been fished with traps that mimic the beak of Galumay the Pelican. The crosshatched interiors of the squares refer to the freshwater, which, according to Meŋa, is the source of the Djapu soul.
– Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre
Additional Information
Decade
2018
Medium
Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark
Dimensions (IN)
54 9/16 x 33 15/32 x 3 35/64
Dimensions (CM)
138.5 x 85 x 9
Credit
Forthcoming acquisition. Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. The 2017-19 Kluge-Ruhe Maḏayin Commission.
Clan
Gupa-Djapu
The Gupa-Djapu’ clan is a Dhuwa clan. Their homeland Waṉḏawuy is a village in the...
Narrative
Mäna
In Yolŋu oral tradition, several Dhuwa clans are connected by the journey of Mäṉa (the...
Location
2010
At Yirrkala, Ishmael Marika was appointed creative director of the Mulka Project in 2010. Alicia...
About The Artist

Clan
Dates
Born 1959
Alternative Names
Meŋa Munuŋgurr
Meŋa Munuŋgurr is the son of Djutjatjutja Munuŋgurr. He is a renowned song man and ceremonial leader for the Djapu’ clan based at Wäṉḏawuy homeland. Although not a prolific artist, he participated in both the 1996 John W. Kluge Commission and the 2017–19 Kluge-Ruhe Maḏayin Commission.