Birrinydji

Dhambit Munuŋgurr paints in energetic, gestural brushstrokes and vivid blue paints to capture the seas, skies and histories of her Yolŋu Country. She comes from a distinguished line of Yolŋu artists. Her grandfathers Woŋgu and Muŋgurrawuy were artists and leaders within their community, while her parents, Mutitjpuy Munuŋgurr and Gulumbu Yunupiŋu, were both former winners of the National Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA). In 2021, Dhambit herself won the NATSIAA bark painting award with her work Bees at Gäṉgän.


Dhambit’s art is based upon the teachings of her parents and a deep knowledge of Yolŋu Law that she has adapted to new methods of painting and communicating. In 2007, she was hit by car, resulting in life threatening head injuries that have left her in a wheelchair with restrictions on her movement and speech. She used art to rehabilitate herself from these injuries, retraining to paint with her non-preferred left hand. She is a prolific painter, and art has become a powerful way for her to communicate. In her own words, ‘it keeps me alive.’
While Yolngu protocol dictates that artists should paint using materials source from the land, Dhambit was given special dispensation to paint using acrylics, as grinding ochers presented too many physical challenges. Initially, she used acrylic paints to recreate natural ocher colors but soon started to experiment with more vibrant palette. The brilliant, cobalt blue she has used in Birrinydji has become the defining feature of her practice.


The title of the work refers to the Yolŋu warrior, Birrinydji, who danced with knives that had been traded from Macassan seafarers in the region. Macassan sailors, hailing from present-day Sulawesi in Indonesia, began visiting Yolŋu communities in the 18th century to trade metal knives, tobacco and other goods for trepang (beche-de-mer, or sea cucumber). This trade continued until the early 20th century and is recorded the songlines, material culture and languages of Arnhem Land. In the bottom right of this painting is the distinctive dhomala (pandanus sail) of the Macassan vessels. In the painting’s other scenes, people can be seen dancing and playing cards. A translation of one of the songs about Birrinydji provided by the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre describes the warrior’s actions and engagement with Macassan knives, tobacco and other trade goods.


This is my home and this is a songline about Gurrumuru. Birrinydji the warrior thinks about knives. These songs contain deep names of the spirit of Birrinydji. People went out with Birrinydji to clear an area, preparing it, to make it straight, to make it special, to make it sacred, a place where Dhalwangu can be attached. After the clearing they walk over the paths finding a large shady tree where the work done was assessed. While resting Birrinydji put his head down on a pillow and slept. On waking and yearning for tobacco he smoked. After smoking they played cards where he won money. With his winnings he went to the main house and bought things on offer. Here he bought grog and on drinking it felt the desire to dance. He danced with the knives as if a shadow boxer. After the dance they cooked rice which they put out on arranged plates. When eating was over in the afternoon the leftovers were thrown on the ground. Smelling this the scrub fowl Djilawurr came in to eat bringing the north wind Lungurrna with him. This marked the end of the day with the sunset of Djapana.