Mary Dhapalany
Mary Dhapalany
Dhawurr or Batjbarra (Fish Trap)
Pandanus and natural dyes, 95cm x 90cm, 2018
Dhawurr, or Batjbarra, is a traditional fish trap, a method used by Indigenous people in the Arafura Swamp and surrounding wetlands of Arnhem Land. When used for practical purposes, the Dhawurr was placed into the river with the opening facing oncoming fish. The woven tunnel trapped the fish with the weave tight enough to prevent escape but loose enough to allow water to freely flow through. The primary material used in this piece is the young, green leaves of the Pandanus spiralis tree. Yolŋu weavers continue to make Dhawurr, to maintain the cultural practice.
Mary is a proud Mandhalpuy woman has been a practicing artist for four decades, and her weaving artwork is representative of traditional craft passed down through generations of women weavers in her family. Mary uses natural dyes, extracted from earth pigment or plant roots, to colour the pandanus leaf (gunga) used in her work. Mary is considered a master weaver in Arnhem Land. Due to her career and accolades, she has made Yolngu weaving visible.