S. MURRAY - Girringun Art Centre | 'Bagu'(large) | Ceramic sculpture

The form and imagery of the bagu with jiman artwork has its origins in the sky. A mystical spirit of fire, would throw the jiman (firesticks) across the sky and a trail of fire would follow.

Based on the traditional fire making implements of the Girringun rainforest Aboriginal people, the artists have created artworks made from clay, timber and string to evoke the spirit of the old people. This imagery has also been placed onto canvas, fabric and also onto jewellery. 

Traditionally, the firesticks were made up of two parts, the Bagu (body) and Jiman (sticks). Bagu is normally made from the boogadilla (milky pine tree) and Jiman are made from mudja (wild guava tree) or jiman. The bagu form was founded in the shape of a man, and a spirit design was created with traditional clays and the ochre colours are magera yellow, jillan, black with wallaby blood and garba white.

Bagu and Jiman were carried from place to place as the camps were moved. There was a special man person whose job was to look after the fire. The keeper of the fire would not dare to let the fire go out or he would be in big trouble, particularly in the wet season when it was difficult to find dry tinder.

“We were not allowed to put our finger in the holes of the Bagu. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was a way to keep the fire pure,” Gulnay Traditional Owner, Doris Kinjun said.

***Warning, this sale mentions an esteemed artist now deceased.

S.Murray (Dec) was a Jirrbal woman of the Davidson Creek area. She lived at the Jumbun Community at Murray Upper and was a skilled weaver of the traditional Gundala basket, a coil basket made with a split lawyer cane, and the traditional small grass mindi basket.

Sadly, S. Murray passed away in 2020. This Bagu represents a very special collectable from S. Murray as no further work was produced.

S. Murray was also an emerging painter and potter. She drew on her feeling for the landscape to visually express the environment and stories of her cultural heritage.

S. Murray passed on her traditional knowledge to the children and other members of the community through weaving workshops and field trips. Her work is included in a number of major institutional collections including Queensland Art Gallery and University of Queensland Art Museum.

Her final large scaled work was included in a sculptural installation commission for the Cairns Performing Arts Centre

A multidisciplinary artist with a broad portfolio, Ninney is an accomplished painter, ceramicist and expert weaver. Taught by her Aunty, Ninney frequently weaves Jawun, Burrajingal, Gundala and Mindi baskets. She is one of few to still construct Wungarr, known as traditional eel traps. 

Ninney shares her rich cultural knowledge through the workshops in which she facilitates. Her paintings capture the story of her elders. Her Bagu sculptures are full of personality and life. Ninney’s art is a visual expression of her connection to home and family. Multiple private and institutional collections, including the Queensland Art Gallery, have acquired Ninney’s work.

Located in Cardwell, Queensland, Girringun represents artists from nine Traditional Owner Groups: the Nywaigi, Gugu Badhan, Warrgamay, Warungnu, Bandjin, Girramay, Gulngay, Jirrbal and Djiru people.

The traditional country of these groups covers some 25,000 square kilometres of country in the state’s far-North. Objects from this country are significantly different from those of much of the rest of Australia. Weaving is done by both men and women, and the diversity of resources between land and sea have resulted in a vast array of implements being crafted for use.

A living functioning art centre, it is not unusual to see artists in the workshop developing new work and honing their craft. The stories and environments of this ancient culture are being transformed daily into visual images and designs by weavers, painters, potters, textile artists, and makers of traditional objects.

These artists bring to life the unique cultural story and expression of the distinctive Aboriginal rainforest art traditions and culture of the Girringun region, to share with the world.

SALLY MURRAY - Girringun Art Centre | 'Bagu'(large) | Ceramic sculpture | 39 (H) x 18.5 (W) x 8 (D) cm