Untitled (Dugong)

Artist Susan Wanji Wanji (1955)

Date1994

Object number00018447

NameScreenprint

MediumPrinting inks, heavy weight wove paper

DimensionsMount / Matt size: 525 x 720 mm
Sheet: 379 x 558 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionAn untitled screen print depicting the profile of a dugong by artist Susan Wanji Wanji. Dugongs are highly revered in Indigenous cultures.HistorySusan Wanji Wanji was born in 1955. She grew up in Maningrida in Arnhem Land, and as a young girl learnt to make bark paintings and intricately woven mats and baskets and is now a highly skilled weaver and Tunga (bark basket) maker. While Susan Wanji Wanji grew up in Maningrida, since her marriage she has lived on Melville Island. At Maningrida she painted bark paintings and produced intricately woven mats and baskets. In 1990 she joined the Munupi Art Center. Printmaking is a recent innovation in Tiwi art, Wanji Wanji produces beautiful designs using carved lino, a process that combines the traditional Tiwi craft of carving with the popular practice of layering the image with lines, dots and cross hatching using strong an vibrant colours. The printwork shop on the Island is an important source of income for the Tiwi islanders, especially the women. The subject matter they choose is the living objects around them on the Island. Wanji Wanji works are interesting because she mixes her parents Arnhemn Land style with her husband's Tiwi designs. SignificanceThis screenprint by Susan Wanji Wanji is a modern example of the traditional Tiwi art technique of carving and of layering the image with lines, dots and crosshatching using rich and vibrant colours.