Warlukun - Fire

Fire has been central to many aspects of traditional Aboriginal life, traditionally used as a practical tool in hunting, cooking, warmth, medicinal practices and managing the landscape. It also holds great spiritual meaning, with many stories and dances passed down around the fire and as a ceremonial and ritual device.

For thousands of years Aboriginal people have been using fire to hunt animals, maintain ecosystems and manage the land.

The painting depicts country after Warlukun - fire has passed over the landscape scorching the earth leaving behind ash and soot, rejuvenating country and trigging seed germination and regrowth.

Native animals such as wallaby’s and birds will bathe in the cool ash providing natural medicinal benefits, seed germination provides a food source native animals and life threatening wildfires are reduced.

In the paintings design Warlukun is represented by the concentric circles, the trail of dots is the path that is created by Warlukun as it moves across the landscape, the pattern of symbols represent the native vegetation and clouds indicate the smoke created as a consequence of Warlukun - fire.

Artwork by Luke Jampin Booth.