Emily Ngarnal Evans

Born in 1975, Emily has lived all her life on Gununa, Mornington Island, educated in her culture and heritage by her father, Kulthangarr Kenneth Jacobs, her grandfather, the late Lindsey Roughsey and great Uncle, the late Dick Roughsey.  All senior men, accomplished artists and custodians of their traditional country on Mornington Island.  Emily spent her youth living and hunting with her parents on her traditional lands at dungurru outstation until she was old enough to attend school and gain a formal (western) education.  As a teenager, she watched her parents significant cultural contribution in community performances and cultural ceremonies.  Her mother Julianna Roughsey is a member of the Mornington Island dancers and continues to tour; she is also a teacher of Lardil culture.  Her father was one of the practicing songmen and custodians of traditional law and ceremony.  Her father passed away in 2003, leaving his children and grandchildren a rich cultural legacy.  Emily began painting from traditional stories and body painting, inspired by her father's stories and mark making.  Her work represents the designs associated with the stories of Balibal (spotted stingray), wurruku- brown shark.  This new mark, born of her father's wisdom and her rich cultural heritage has created a contemporary dialogue of her father's story.  Emily Ngarnal Evans' work is both a personal metaphor of her everlasting relationship with her father and a contemporary expression of her traditional beliefs, culture and country.

Spotted Stingray

When I was young my father taught me about my totem which is the spotted stingray and he told me the story belonging to my totem and other stories associated with my totem - "The Spotted Stingray or Balibal".

Now that he has gone I paint these stories so that I can pass on my father's stories to my children and one day they will do the same for their children.  That's how it has been done since the dreamtime.

The spotted stingray totem belongs to my country known as Dunkaru (Dungaroo) which is on the south-east side of Mornington Island.  Balibal (spotted stingray) fled there after escaping the Lighting man who scared everyone away from the circumcision ceremony on Denham Island.  The old white crane was the songman and held the ceremony there with all the big men: Barracuda, Shovel nose shark, Spotted stingray, Golden trevally, Blue Fish, Rock cod, Black butter fish and of course Lighting Man.

They were all gathered there to shake a leg before the circumcision.  But the songman always watches for the best dancer and when Balibal (spotted stingray) danced he said "no you can't dance properly, your arms are too big!", when Barracuda danced he said "you can't dance properly your legs are too long and you wobble too much, and you Rock cod your head and mouth are too big you look funny, you can't dance like that".  And so it went on until Lighting man came with blinding light and lots of noise and scared them all away and they all fled to different parts of Mornington Island.  Shovel nose shark went to Kunba, as did Redbill and White crane, Rock cod and Blue fish went to Sydney Island, and Barracuda when tot Kurraban, and Balibal (spotted stingray) went to Dunkaru.

This animal feeds in the shallow water on shells and uses his two big front teeth to crack the shells open.  Balibal (spotted stingray) loves to show off, flying high out of the water.  You still see the Balibal (spotted stingray) all around Dunkaru to this day showing off out of the water especially in the channel between Sydney Island and Mornington Island.

Image size: 70.5 x 70.5 cm

Paper size: 81 x 80 cm