Edward Badal / Clay pans & Spinifex and Waru (Fire) 36 x 76

Edward Badal: “I was born in Broome hospital, WA in the late seventies. I went to Lagrange school, then to Nulungu College to further my education and went back to Lagrange. In the late 2000’s I came interested in painting my old peoples country.

Me I like doing dot painting, it’s about culture, land and people. Sometimes I go out with the rangers to look after country and sometimes it heals all of us being out on country.

The painting I do is sand dunes and claypans. Me I use desert colours in my paintings, that represent the desert. My Mother and my Grandmother are Nyangumarta and my Father’s side is Mangala Side. Both of my Grandmother’s were born in the desert country, they both grew me up in the old camp here in Bidyadanga.”

This paining is about the claypans, spinifex and waru (fire) in the dry season

time, when spinifex, the native plants and the country gets dry. Its about how

to burn the country the right way, not the wrong way. Like old people they

used to burn the county right way, so we learn from them and keep country

good for us and all the animals comes out of the bush. When the rain

comes it makes the country green again. Some animals love dry

season for hunting. Some times we go hunting for animals for our

families

With the Paru (spinifex) we pull out the whole plant, roots and all and then we

twist it around to make a flat basket (Jitatu) like a donut ring. Then this sits on

the head and you can carry water for example. The water is in a Kapara like a

shallow bowl which you make from the hard wood of a tree like Parntal

(Owenia Reticulata)