Mother of Pearl Shell Project
Pearl Shell Art Project
Thousands of years ago the ancestors of the people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, used ochre to paint their creation figures with elaborate headdresses and arm and waist decorations that continue to adorn rock shelters and caves in this part of the world.
These figures on the shells, are known as Wanjina and Gwion to the Wunambal Gaambera people.
Wunambal Gaambera people’s belief, their Lalai story, is that their ancestors Wanjina (man and woman) and Wunggurr (snake) created Country (land and sea) and all things upon and in it. The Wunambal Gaambera people call this, our Uunguu – our living home.
This project is a collaboration between the Wanjina Wunggurr creators of the Wunambal Gaambera rock art and the Kira Kiro artists in Kalumburu.
The pearl shell has historically been a significant part of the Kimberley Indigenous culture.
The processed mother of pearl shell, adorned with decals of Wanjina and Gwion, created from original ochre paintings, celebrate a rich connection between contemporary culture and the ancestors of the Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owners.
The pearl shell artworks will be for sale at Ngula, Jar Island for cruise passengers travelling the Uunguu Coast.
Click the button below to find out more about the decals found on the pearl shells, described by the artists.
