About this artwork
Story
Korlobarr (the antilopine kangaroo) and Dalkken (the dingo) were originally two Yirridjdja moiety men. But they were from different ceremonial moieties, kolobarr being Burddal, and Dalkken Kuyal. They had a meeting and decided to paint each other. Kolobarr let Dalken paint him first. When he was finished Dalkken lay down and let himself be painted. When Kolobarr was finished, Dalkken looked at himself and was not pleased. He complained that Korlobarr had made his mouth too wide and that his testicles were wrongly painted. The argument led to a fight. The dingo won the fight and he ate fresh meat from the kangaroo. He said “You are now my meat – if I see you, I will hunt you and eat you”. He also told the kangaroo that he would be hunted by humans for food. Finally, he told Kolobarr that from that time on, if either animals saw humans they would run away.
Nawu Kolobarr dja Dalkken nakka Yirridjdja bokenh beda benehkarrmi meeting benehwokmarnburreni bu
About Glen Namundja
Glen Namundja is a passionate artist who draws on great cultural integrity for inspiration in his work. The depth of his artistic oeuvre reflects his confidence in creating intense compositions from his extensive cultural knowledge. These complex works are often densely populated with entwined figures and infilled with extensive rarrk (cross-hatching). Namundja imbues his paintings with a potency that is compelling. His art is reflective of his character as an artist who will continually challenge himself. He first solo exhibition in Melbourne took place in 2008 and was a sell out show. His ‘Likkanaya and Marrayka’, was awarded the 2009 National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award in the Works on Paper category, and he has been a NATSIAA finalist several times. Glen’s innovative stylistic merging of West Arnhem Land figurative painting with extensive rarrk is very much his own. Glen Namundja comes from a long line of unique and talented artists. His father was artist Peter Maralwanga who was a key teacher for them when they were learning to paint as young men. Glen’s brothers are renowned artists Ivan Namirriki and Samuel Namundja. They all grew up together at Markolidjban outstation near the Liverpool River in West Arnhem Land.Awards Finalist, Works on Paper category Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2013 Finalist, Works on Paper category Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2012 Finalist, Work on Bark category,National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2011 Winner, Works on Bark category National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2010 Highly Commended, West Australian Premier’s Art Awards 2009 Finalist, Togart Contemporary Art Award (acquired), 2009 Winner, Works on Paper category National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2009 Finalist, Togart Contemporary Art Award (acquired), 2009 Finalist, Highly Commended and Acquired National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2008 Finalist, National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Art Award, 2007
