Bábbarra Women’s Centre

Marilyn is a senior artist with deep knowledge of culture & country which she brings to textiles and her design story. Marilyn has represented Babbarra in Adelaide at the Tarnanthi Art Fair which she enjoyed. Marilyn’s first design depicts the story of funeral logs (Lorrkkon). ‘This is the story of my great great grandfather and grandmother who were bark painters and Lorrkkon painters. I remember this story, and decided to make this my first design. My mother used to weave, she made pandanus hats, floormats, baskets and dilly bag.’ She also depicts Ranba (beach) and Yokkarra (fish), Ngaduma (palm tree) and Barruar (seagull egg) in her Lino print designs.

Abigail has been working as an artist at Bábbarra Women’s Centre since 2012. She joined the team as an arts worker in 2022. Abigail comes from a strong line of talented artists, her late mother is the renowned Jennifer Wurrkidj and her grandmother was Helen Lanyinwanga. Three generations of women from Abigail’s family have worked together at Bábbarra Women’s Centre, sharing ancestral knowledge and creating beautiful textile designs.

Abigail’s totems are Gungura (Spiral wind) and Kunwardde (Stone country rocks). She loves to print Manbirrbirr (small bush flowers), Buluwana (Kuninjku Spirit Woman, yawkyawk (Young woman mermaid spirit) and marebu (pandanus mat).

Deborah Wurrkidj is an internationally renowned, versatile artist who has readily adapted to new art forms while retaining her strong clan traditions. She has been working with Bábbarra Designs since 1991, alongside her mother, Helen Lanyinwanga, and sister Jennifer Wurrkidj. She is a leading textile artist and an integral member of Bábbarra Women’s Centre. Deborah’s work is vibrant, tactile and intricate, evocative of the local natural environment as well as referencing her deep cultural knowledge. Her extensive body of textile art is illustrative of the artistic innovation that has occurred in Maningrida in recent times and that is apparent in her work in other mediums also. Deborah is world renowned for her bark ainting, lorrkkon (hollow logs), and fibre baskets. She has exhibited widely since 2001, throughout Australia as well as in Europe and the United States. She is represented in most of Australia’s state gallery collections.

Belinj Jay is a Kune, Dalabon and Rembarrngga woman from the Barappa clan. For Kune people, like many others across Arnhem Land, the world is divided into two moieties: Duwa and Yirridjdja. These moieties are woven into the kinship system guiding a person’s relationships and responsibilities to their family and the environment. Every tree, animal, bird, and body of water can be identified as either Duwa or Yirridjdja and this moiety system extends to stories, songlines and dreaming.

Belinj Jay works across multiple mediums including Lino print and etching drawing, screen printing and fibre art. Her work illustrative and intricate, portraying the ancestral stories of her freshwater homeland. Jay often depicts Modjarrkki (fresh water crocodile), birdlife from the wetlands including Kawk (Heron) and Ngalkordow (Brolga) as well as dancing and hunting mimihs.

The Modjarrkki story belongs to the Barappa clan and is from the Duwa Country Dukala-djarranj and Kolorbidahdah located in the stone country of West Arnhem Land. The Songline and story has been passed down to Jay by her father (Dad’s brother) and is a true story, a story that really happened. This story is still practiced through bunggul during cultural celebrations and gatherings.

Jay’s recent achievements include teaching a series of children’s lino printing workshops at The National Museum of Australia during their 2023 NAIDOC Week events.