Details of Ganyu

Catalog Number : 26173
Size : 90cm x 43cm
Medium : natural earth pigment on bark
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Gulumbu explained that some stars are special for Yolngu.
This painting refers to but does not specify two 'dreamtime' stories, which each represent different constellations,that the artist was told by her father as child. Her father was Mungurrawuy Yunupingu. The authors 'little brothers' are Galarrwuy and Mandawuy Yunupingu. She retells the stories for children of the new generation. She also paints them. Since a screen of sixty odd small star-based bark paintings were shown in the world Expo in Hanover Germany in 2000 she has developed this motif. It is very unlike other North East Arnhem land art which is almost always based on fine cross-hatched sacred design. Even decorative works usually employ lines rather than dots.What is also unusual about this work vis a vis other works of the region and also Gulumbu's own star works is the absence of any figurative imagery. This adds an abstract quality to the piece but also means that it doesn't differentiate between the stories she normally uses this design as a backdrop for. For that reason in this documentation we record both stories. Ganyu is the Yolgnu word for stars.
The first story is about two sisters called Guthayguthay and Nhayay. Guthayguthay is the elder sister and sits at the biggest fire, she and Nhayay who is the younger sister and has a smaller fire. THe elder sister is able to carry bigger fire wood than the younger sisterwho can only carry small fire wood. In the olden days these two sisters used to be people, but they turned into stars that sit in the sky under the Milky Way.
When the seasons here are hot the two sisters are arguing and sitting apart from each other with different fires. These arguments are often over a man called Marrngu. When the seasons are cooler the two sisters are seen togethersitting by one big fire. They are surrounded by more stars when they are sitting together. When you look in the sky long enough you will see two women figures sitting near two bright stars, which are their fires burning.
The second story about seven sisters who went out in their canoe called Djulpan. During certain seasons they go hunting for food and always come back with different types of food. They come back with turtle, fish, freshwater snakes, and also bush foods like yams and berries. They can be seen in the sky of a night, seven stars that come out together.
The stars come in season when the food and berries come out, the stars will travel the sky during that month until the season is over and they dont come out until the next season. Gulumbu's father told her about these seven sisters in a canoe , and the three brothers who came behind them. They travel west . There ar especial stars in the sky which Yolgnu call wishing stars. They give Yolgnu bush tucker, they multiply the foods in the sea - thats why Yolgnu are happy to see them. Thats what Gulumbu's father told her.
When she looks at the stars, Gulumbu thinks about the universe, all around, and about every tribe, every colour. In every corner of the world paople can look up and see the stars. This is Gulumbu's vision - in her art, she focuses on the link between all people everywhere. The link between people on earth and stars in the sky- its real. Gulumbu links this idea to the Garma, where people form everywhere can come and relax, look up and see stars.