(i) WARDAL, 2003 (ii) UNTITLED, 2003
MICK JAWALJI JANGALA
natural earth pigments on board
80.0 x 60.0 cm (2)
(i) inscribed verso with artist's name and Warmun Art Centre catalogue number WAC 453/03
(ii) inscribed verso with artist's name and Warmun Art Centre catalogue number WAC 450/03
Warmun Art Centre, Turkey Creek
Acquired from the above in 2003
Collection of Stephen Bush, New South Wales
The work titled WARDAL is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Warmun Art Centre which describes the work as depicting Wardal, the Morning Star. As Jawalji states:
'you can see the morning star in the early daylight. God said I want light and he made stars. Nobody can make a star, only God himself. God is a powerful man. He made every star and put them in the sky'
Mike Jawalji is the senior traditional owner of the Ban.gurr region of Western Gaji country. He was born at Yulumbu and was raised on Tableland Station where he eventually worked as head stockman. Jawalji travelled extensively from station to station as a stockman, an experience which resulted in his extensive knowledge of his country and the history which shapes it.
Upon retiring in 2001, Jawalji started painting, joining the Warmun Art Centre in 2002 where he was immediately recognised as an artist of singular vision and strength. His work is held in the National Gallery of Victoria.