Timothy Walanjbirr
61 3/8 x 27 1/2 in
Further images
Timothy Walanjbirr was born in 1969 and is a mid generation artist from Maningrida in Central Arnhem Land. His language is Kuninjku. He is the youngest son of the famous Arnhem Land bark painter Peter Marralwanga and is himself a painter and sculptor, best known for his extraordinarily fine raark or crosshatching. His work is in the collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, the Queensland Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia. This finely detailed painting depicts yibba - the ornate burrowing frog. There is a sacred site of Kudjeddjirrk in the Dangkolo clan estate concerned with frog species. It is a dangerous place, consisting of a dark cave in the rocks. From there the frogs call out ‘kerk kerk kerk’. If humans go close to the cave, they can be captured and harmed by the frog beings living inside.