Sheryl Pamulkan is one of the Wik and Kugu Arts Centre artists whose work is on display in the second Belonging exhibition at the National Museum of Australia until 13 August. This painting by the Apalech woman is called My Grandmother’s Home. Sheryl says the swamp near Amrun beach is a sacred space.
“It is known as the Shooting Star and it is my grandmother’s totem. This place is where the birds gather for food and water and where the magpie geese go to lay their eggs during onchan min (good wet season). The geese hide their eggs near the swamp and if you look closely, you can find them here in this painting. The Shooting Star is the central food source for many forms of life. My grandmother collected eggs, geese, cranes and ducks as well as bush food from this area. My family still eats magpie geese at Christmas time.”