Dhamalay Marrangal Guya Radjuk (Sea Eagle Catching Barramundi)
Artist
Alfred Walpay
(1956)
Date2007
Object number00045167
NameSculpture
MediumEucalyptus wood, ochre
DimensionsOverall: 590 x 1200 x 1070 mm, 7000 g
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection
DescriptionOchre on wood sculpture by Alfred Walpay titled 'Dhamalay Marrangal Guya Radjuk' (Sea Eagle Catching Barramundi).
Hand carved and glued together with a natural glue made from blood tree gum, this sculpture is influenced by stories the artist's father told him and features totems of his maternal ancestors.HistoryAlfred Walpay is a member of the Gupapuyngu clan and has lived most of his life at Milingimbi, an island off the central coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
Walpay is a talented carver and sculptor whose main subjects are animals, birds and fish. He began carving sculptures in 2005 after observing the creative activity of other artists from his community and draws inspiration from what he sees while fishing and walking around Milingimbi. His works speak of the interaction between Yolngu, country and animals.
Walpay's sculpture reflects the stories his mother, father and other elders tell about the way the Gupapuyngu people hunted with nets and dilly bags in traditional times. Alfred says that he makes his sculptures, "so more people learn about how it used to be for my people".
This work 'Dhamalay Marrangal Guya Radjuk' ('Sea Eagle Catching Barramundi') is made from eucalyptus wood and painted with natural ochres. The sea eagle is a totem of his mother, and the barramundi of his grandmother. The markings on each figure are exclusive to the Yirritja moiety and cannot be painted by others.
In the Yolngu world all things, living and not living, are divided into Dhuwa (sun side) and Yirritja (shade side). The Dhamalay (sea eagle) is catching the Radjuk (barramundi). The Dhamalay is owned by all Dhuwa people and clans, the Radjuk by all Yirritja. The use of these two powerful animals represents the two halves of the moiety system, their balancing effect on each other, and their reliance on each other in marriage, ceremony and daily life.SignificanceThis work by Alfred Walpay speaks of the interaction between Yolngu, country and animals as represented by the sea eagle catching the barramundi and decorated with markings that are exclusively used by the Yirritja moiety.
