Catfish Dreaming (AB12)

Size: 112 x 63cm 
natural earth ochre pigments on stringybark

Rental Fee: 
$16.00 per week (plus delivery & install costs)

The artist has depicted the Catfish, an animal of cultural significance to him. The catfish dreaming story is rich with ancestral meaning and ecological significance.

In the freshwater river systems, billabongs, and floodplains of Arnhem Land, the catfish is a critical food source. Because they are found in permanent waterholes, catfish are deeply associated with life-giving water, seasonal cycles, and the creation of the landscape by ancestral spirits during creation.

The lifecycle of the catfish is tied to seasonal traditional practices. During the transition from the wet season to the dry season, Arnhem Land groups build complex woven fibre fish traps (kun-madj) across receding river channels to harvest catfish and barramundi.