DJAWIDA NADJONGORLE - KANGAROO AND SNAKE

DJAWIDA NADJONGORLE 
KANGAROO AND SNAKE,  c.1986
Ochre on Bark
44.5 x 88 cm (irregular)
 
REGION
Gunbalanya, NT
 
PROVENANCE
Injalak Arts Centre, NT
Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, NSW
Private collector
 
STORY
In the Dreaming, the Kangaroo and the Snake travelled across Country and shaped the land through their movements. The Kangaroo’s strong, repeated leaps created the open plains and taught people about strength, effort, and purposeful action. The Snake moved in long curves, forming the rivers and waterholes that provide essential water and mark the changing seasons.
 
Together, these two beings represent the balance between dry land and water, action and rest, and the cycles that support life. In this bark painting, Djawida Nadjongorle depicts their role in creating key features of the landscape and the ongoing guidance they provide for how people live with and care for Country.