OWEN YALANDJA - YAWK YAWK

 OWEN YALANDJA
YAWK YAWK,  
194 cm
Natural Earth Pigments on Carved Wood
 
PROVENANCE
Maningrida, NT
Maningrida Arts, NT Private Collection, VIC 
 
STORY
Yawk Yawk in the Kunwinjku/Kunwok language of Western Arnhem Land means ā€�young womanā€™ or ā€�young woman spirit beingā€™.Sometimes compared to mermaids, they exist as spirit beings inhabiting freshwater streams and rock pools, particularly those in the stone country. They are said to leave their aquatic homes to walk about on dry land, particularly at night. They have long hair, which is associated with trailing blooms of green algae.Aboriginal people believe that during the time of creation the Yawk Yawk travelled the country in human form. They equate some features of the country with body parts of Yawk Yawk. For example a bend in a river or creek may be said to be ā€�the tail of the Yawk Yawkā€™, a billabong may be the ā€�head of the Yawk Yawkā€™ and so on. Thus different groups can be linked together by means of a shared mythology featured in the landscape, which crosscuts clan and language group boundaries.Yawn Yawk mythologies are represented in bark paintings, sculptures and rock art. They are most often associated with fertility sites.