Yellow Bellyby Shirley Collins
In the Dreamtime the kurrhitya, mussels lived in lake that was formed by the rainbow serpent when there was a great flood, ngarrhimanhtha, called the inland sea. However in that flood the freshwater karrhkuru , perch was also washed downstream and they both ended up in the cool calm waters of the karityurrha, billabong. It was at this time that the perch always teased the mussel so they never got along, so one day the old man mussel had had enough of his teasing and began to suck up some of the parrhu, muddy yellow ochre from the bottom of the billabong and just like magic he blew the ochre onto the perch. From that day to this the perch is now known as the Yellow Belly.
$550.00 inc. GST
About the artist
“Shirley Collins (Yumala)
Shirley Collins parents were Aboriginal people. Her mothers’ side is both Aboriginal / English from the Eastern Arrernte from the Northern Territory. Her father’s side is both Aboriginal and German; however she grew up acknowledging only her Aboriginal Culture. She is a Pitta Pitta woman from Boulia in Western Queensland, her totem is the Brolga, and her traditional name in Pitta Pitta language is “Yum-ala” meaning eldest sister; Shirley uses this name to sign off her artwork.
Her work has been included in the annual Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) from 2009 – 2014. Her work is in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland State Library, and Townsville City Council.
She is a founding member of the Murris in Ink artists, a printmaking group based from Umbrella Studio. In 2010 MII were invited to create a folio of works for CIAF 2011. The collection titled Ngapa Kai Kai (water/food) was launched at the Art Fair and toured with Artslink (formally the Queensland Arts Council) throughout Queensland and New South Wales since 2011. Her work has been featured in Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, The Cultural Centre Townsville and Umbrella Studio in group exhibitions.”
