For millennia, people of many cultures have bonded by cooking and sharing food around a fire. A fire brings people together, and is central to the home life of a family.
For Aboriginal people, the connection to home is also about how they care for the land. Traditional methods of cultivating grain are not just about the nourishment of bodies, but the nourishment of the land too. Kangaroo and wallaby grasses have been cultivated on ancient land in Australia for 65,000 years. They are gluten-free and grown without irrigation and pesticides.
Dhunbarrbil tells a story of the Yuwaalaraay country as a place abundant in plant-based foods. It references the seasons and stages of growth of native grasses, and knowledge systems around harvesting, grinding grain and making bread.
The painting features native Australian kangaroo grass (buunhu). Historically this grass, and others like it, such as native millet (guli) and mitchell grass (ganalay), grew across vast areas of New South Wales, providing a valuable source of carbohydrates for Aboriginal people. The seeds were harvested and ground on large communal grinding dishes (dhayurr) to make flour for bread and damper. The fibre from the seeds was also used for other things, from weaving to tools.
This design honours the many stories which are connected through native Australian grass and grain, and speaks of local knowledge and an inherent understanding of the land. It speaks of the seasons, of balance, and of sustainability, and the importance of working together. It is a celebration of the beauty of diversity and the strength of the oldest living culture on the planet.
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Lucy Simpson
THE COLLECTION
