Who Paintin' Dis Wandjina?

Taryne Laffar
Australia 2007
8 min

Who Paintin' Dis Wandjina? examines the impact of hundreds of spray-painted images of Wandjinas (pronounced 'wannias') in Perth and surrounds.

Wandjinas are a symbol of the creator of fertility and rain for the Mowanjum Aboriginal peoples in the Kimberleys and are not part of the culture of the Noongar Aboriginal people of Perth.

Aboriginal elders in the documentary express their concerns that the Wandjinas are taken to Perth. They are 'hurt' by the thoughtless use of a symbol which has to have a story and a meaning behind it in order to be replicated. "It's more than a painting, it's a lifestyle," they say. Following proper cultural protocol, only Aboriginal people who went through the law are allowed to use Wandjinas.

In Who Paintin' Dis Wandjina? director Taryne Laffar lets also speak the graffiti artist without revealing his (or her) identity.

Our people get upset when they see Wandjinas [in Perth] when it should be [in the Kimberleys].—Aboriginal elders

Cast	Aboriginal elders, graffiti artist
Release dates	2007
Video/DVD Release Date	not available
Awards	not available
Rating	G - general
Language level	easy
Distributor	not available
Soundtrack	not available
Genre	Documentary
Notes	For a culturally appropriate way to learn more about Wandjinas check out the Mowanjum Artists Spirit of the Wandjina Aboriginal Corporation (MASWAC). "As an aboriginal, I am upset at the way my choice to greet and respect the Wanjina (law) has been taken from me. You arent supposed to just walk up to Wanjina and take a photo. You arent supposed to look at him unless the correct rites have been conducted. Its disrespectful."—Aboriginal commentator [1]. Learn it from Aboriginal people: Keeping the Wanjinas Fresh tells the story of Sam Woolagoodja, who was responsible for repainting the sacred Wanjinas in many of the rock shelters of the Kimberleys.

What are Wandjinas?

The Mowanjum people of the Kimberleys (north-eastern Western Australia) comprise three language groups, the Worora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbal [2].

To these people, the Wandjina is the supreme Creator and their ancestors have been painting Wandjina and Gyorn Gyorn figures in rock art sites scattered throughout the western Kimberley for millennia. This is the oldest continuous sacred painting movement on the planet.

Unique to the Mowanjum people, Wandjinas have large eyes, like the eye of a storm, but no mouth. It is said they have no mouth because that would make them too powerful. They are often depicted with elaborate headdresses, indicating different types of storms.

To the Mowanjum people, the elegant, elongated figures of the Gyorn Gyorn depict their long-ago ancestors, before the Wandjinas brought the law. Gyorn Gyorn paintings in rock art sites have been dated at 20,000 years and are often over-painted with Wandjinas and other imagery. These figures are sometimes known as Bradshaws.

Where can you purchase Wandjina images?

Mowanjum people continue to paint the Wandjina image, reinterpreting this astonishing tradition through contemporary practice and mediums.

The Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre in Derby is a 100% Aboriginal-owned art centre, managed by a committee of artists. The Centre provides significant income to many Aboriginal community members through the sale of works of art and also supports important social and cultural activities, including the transmission of culture.

[1] http://rosemary.id.au/view/blog/wandjina/ [2] Text courtesy of Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre, edited by Creative Spirits