21. Namorrorddo Part 1

DETAILS

• Fibre-tipped pen on paper, framed by Don Whyte
• Dimensions: 67cm x 67cm
• Cat No. 287-23

Mythical creatures of a malevolent nature, namorrorddo are shooting star spirits. They have long claws and trails of white light coming from their heads. They also carry a long club called miyarrurl which they use to beat victims. Namorrorddo is similar to the spirit called 'Nakidjkidj', the same as Nakidjkidj. Namorrorddo however carries light (ie. the shooting star) and has really long claws, yes. ~ Njamed, the Bininj Kunwok online dictionary

ARTIST

Janet Marawarr is a senior Kuninjku artist at Babbarra Designs working across lino and screen print on fabric. Marawarr regards textile design as an opportunity to work with colour and new methods to express her djang (ancestral creation stories).

• In 2019 she travelled to Paris to launch the touring exhibition, Jarracharra ( Dry Season Wind) of which her work featured.
• In 2022 she travelled to LA where her work was exhibited with Aboriginal Screen-Printed Textiles from Australia’s Top End at Fowler Museum, UCLA.
• In January 2023 Marawarr was invited by the Australian Consul- General, Kolkata to explore the textile region of West Bengal as a guest of honour. She participated in a 10 day tour of the region sharing knowledge with other women’s groups including the Bridging Culture and Art Foundation Kantha studio in Tushkhali, Sundarbans; the Sadaf India Studio and the Navajeevan Co-operative Society in Jajpur, Odisha.

As well as her textile designs with Bábbarra Women’s Centre, Marawarr is an established bark painter with Maningrida Arts & Crafts and she works for the Maningrida Night Patrol, a community safety service. 

ART CENTRE

Bábbarra Women’s Centre works with women who from more than 12 language groups in the Maningrida region who come together to share knowledge and ideas. The group's main social enterprise, Bábbarra Designs, has been going strong since 1989, designing and hand-printed exquisite textiles that are sold around the world. Each length of fabric is unique and tells the ancestral stories of Arnhem Land country and cultures. "People tell us our designs are bold and elegant, but for us they are more than designs: these designs tell the stories of our lives. They bring a lot of joy to everyone – to us, our families and our customers alike. Working creatively with Bábbarra Designs is a way for us to achieve financial independence, for our community and the next generations."