DETAIL : Jimmy BAKER 'Katatjita' 2006 synthetic polymer paint on canvas, Courtesy of Marshall Arts Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery, � Jimmy Baker
Wamud  NAMOK | Dulklorrkelorrkeng and Wakkewakken
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NAMOK, Wamud
Australia 1926 /1928 – 2009
Dulklorrkelorrkeng and Wakkewakken 2005
Painting
Bark painting
natural earth pigments on stringybark
83.0 (h) x 151.0 (w) cm
Collection of Michael and Eleonora Triguboff
© Wamud NAMOK, Injalak Arts.
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Wakkewakken, the legless women, is associated with the ancestral honey in areas around where Wamud Namok, AO lives – his country Kabulwarnamyo. Dulklorrkelorrkeng has legs, arms, an ‘arse like a monkey’ and the pushed backed face of the ghost bat. Wamud Namok, AO depicts Dulklorrkelorrkeng with a black whip snake at its thumb. The Wakkewakken was painted first and Wamud Namok, AO indicated early that he was going to paint a row of four or five of these beings – obviously a change of mind occurred soon after. The areas of hatching on the malevolent Dulklorrkelorrkeng and snake have been executed by two hands – Wamud Namok, AO’s and his son’s wife Jenny. Wamud Namok, AO moved to his granddaughter’s house to finish this work. Here his son and wife were also camped and Jenny was instructed to infill the marked out areas of his design. Her practical hand is honest and workman like, differing to his lines, which not only show his confident lightness of touch, creating tonal variation, but also of an old man’s tremor.

Dulklorrkelorrkeng are malignant spirits associated with a site of the same name in the Mok clan’s estate. Dulklorrkelorrkeng are usually described as evil spirits or devils similar in nature to the malevolent Namande spirits living throughout western Arnhem Land. Dulklorrkelorrkeng are of both genders and are only visible to the ‘clever men’. Wamud Namok, AO learnt what they look like, how they live and about their activities from his father, who was a ‘man with power’ as he had special qualities and could see the invisible. Dulklorrkelorrkeng eat poisonous snakes and angurrk (gum) from a number of local tree species. Their pets are djapo (northern quoll), but not the small species known to common people; their pets are djapo namandegen, large animals said to be as large as wolfhounds.

Dulklorrkelorrkeng live in anberrk (forest usually described as dry country as it lacks surface water) where they sit on hollow logs that serve as their home. They get their djiddjirrdok(drinking water) from hollow anbulurrdak and andjalen trees. If you tap these trees, you can hear the water splashing and the movement of Dulklorrkelorrkeng inside.