COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Gunbalanya
Current viewing_room
Owen Naborlhborlh
Mimih Kunborrk (Mimih Dancing), 2021
ochre and acrylic on arches paper
76 x 102 cm
84-21
The artist has depicted Mimih spirits dancing. According to the Kunwinjku people of West Arnhem Land, Mimih spirits were the original spirit beings who taught Aboriginal people many of the...
The artist has depicted Mimih spirits dancing. According to the Kunwinjku people of West Arnhem Land, Mimih spirits were the original spirit beings who taught Aboriginal people many of the skills they needed to survive. They also taught aspects of ceremony such as singing, dancing (kunborrk) and playing didjeridu (mako). Mimih spirits are believed to inhabit the rocky escarpments around Gunbalanya but because they are extremely timid they are rarely seen by humans. They are frequently depicted in the rock art of Arnhem Land as small, dynamic figures, often shown with a range of hunting tools.