Description
Size: 40 cm x 40 cm (16 x 16 inches)
Fabric: wool (front) and cotton (back)
The Artist: Cedric Varcoe
Cedric was born in Adelaide in 1984, his family is Narangga, from Point Pearce on the mission on Yorke Peninsula in South Australia and and Ngarrindjeri from the area along the southern parts of the river Murray the Coorong in southern coastal South Australia. Cedric has been painting since he was very young, inspired by watching his family paint and by the stories from Ngarrindjeri country and culture told to him by his grandfather and other elders of the Ngarrindjeri language group.
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About the design: Ngurunderi
Ngurunderi came down the river with his two sons, who he lost in the scrub after hunting emus with them. He walked around looking for them. When near Kingston S.E. he met an old magic man who had captured his sons. They had a war fight with magic and weapons. Ngurunderi won the fight and burnt the magic man’s body the old way, the flames turned his body into 3 rocks. The rocks are called ‘The Granites’ in English, and can be seen on the Coorong today. Ngurunderi came back along the Coorong, digging water from soakage’s along the way, to Victor Harbour. He made all of that Country. This painting was completed during a developmental workshop with Better World Arts, supported by Arts SA. Cedric experimented with colour and line to evolve his work into a bold and flowing style, saturated with life and passion.
Namarnkol, barramundi, is an important fish for us Bininj. Barramundi are found in the ocean, in floodwaters, and freshwater billabongs, rivers and creeks. In the old days, people used to spear them with djalakirradj (three-pronged fish spears) and walabi (traditional triangular nets). Nowadays, we catch them with fishing lines and modern nets. Barramundi are most easily caught from the end of the monsoon (March -April) until the humid “build up” season (October-November). There are Barramundi Dreaming sites in lots of clan countries, where the ancestral Barramundi placed itself as a Dreaming. Men and women will say “My Dreaming is Barramundi, it placed itself in my country”
About the BWA chainstitch (gabba) kilim products
These beautiful, unique textiles are a cross-cultural collaboration combining Aboriginal designs and traditional Kashmiri rug-making techniques. Chain stitched, using hand dyed wool, each is a completely handmade piece. A more empowering way to work, this brings many direct benefits to the artists’ and their community. Control and ownership of intellectual property are also maintained. Purchase of these products guarantees a direct return to the Aboriginal artist and their community.
CARE INSTRUCTIONS: These cushion covers feel great and are fabulously hardwearing – we can vouch for that.
Do not put place/use in direct sunlight or colors may fade. To clean – dry cleaning recommended. It is possible with careful hand-wash in warm water using a wool detergent. Creases can be ironed out on a wool (low) steam setting.
