MULUYMULUY WIRRPANDA | BULWUTJA

Muluymuluy was the young wife of Wakuthi Marawili, one of the oldest and most revered elders in Arnhem land. Known as Banbay, ”blind one”, because of his poor eyesight, Wakuthi passed away on 2005. Today his sons Djambawa (winner of the 2019 Testra Art Award) and Nuwandjall play a large role in the day to day management of the large Madarrpa clan homeland, Yilpara and Muluyumuluy works with them producing important Madarrpa clan paintings. Her sister Mulkun Wirrpanda is also a senior artist. Muluymuluy holds extensive knowledge of native plants of North East Arnhem Land and her artwork embodies this knowledge. Amongst the plant species represented in her works, are berries, yams and other edible species including Buwakul (native grape), Dilminyin (scaly ash), and Ganguri/Manmuna (long yam). Her bark paintings depict Bulwutja, which grows in and around the billabongs and swampy areas on Madarrpa land. The plants grow in clumps after the rains and are pulled out in clumps, cooked underground or on coals, then mashed into a blackish grey paste that is tasty and nutritious. This paste can also be baked into a bread.