GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA - UNTITLED (WURRU)
GINGER RILEY MUNDUWALAWALA
UNTITLED (WURRU), c.1991
34 x 42.5 cm; 57 x 63.5 cm (framed)
acrylic on canvas board
REGION
Arnhem Land, NT
PROVENANCE
signed front bottom 'GiNGER. RiLEY'Sotheby's Australia, 1991, NSW
Private collection, NSW
Art Leven, NSW
STORY
In the heart of Arnhem Land, Warru, the great serpent, stirred as the rivers whispered of drought. The waters had retreated deep into the earth, leaving the land cracked and dry. Warru, keeper of the rivers, knew his time had come.
He began his journey, carving new paths through the parched earth. Trees murmured of withering leaves, birds of empty nests, and even the rocks hummed with concern. Their stories drove him forward to the river’s end, where he felt the hidden pulse of water trapped beneath the ground.
Summoning his strength, Warru plunged deep into the earth, breaking through rock to release a surge of cool water. The river roared back to life, its flow reviving the land and its creatures. Exhausted but triumphant, Warru rested beneath the waters, knowing his journey would continue as the land changed.
This tale, passed down through generations, lives on in the vivid art of Ginger Riley. His paintings of Warru capture the spirit of the serpent, the pulse of the rivers, and the enduring bond between Country and its keepers, ensuring the story flows as endlessly as the water itself.
ARTIST PROFILE
