Seasons of story telling
Through nature’s cycles, Arnhem Land’s artists create art that tells stories of the land, ancestors, and the centuries-old connection between people and place.
WORDS Tatyana Leonov
PHOTOGRAPHY Tourism NT/James Fisher Injalak Arts Centre, Paul Dymond/Alamy Stock Photo
It’s monsoon season in West Arnhem Land, and the land is pulsing with new life. Torrential rains drench the earth, rivers spill over, and the wetlands awaken in a blaze of colour. Water lilies bloom across the floodplains, their delicate petals drifting with the currents. For the local Aboriginal people, the Kunwinjku, this is Bärra’mirri, a time of renewal.
The rain softens bark for painting, replenishes plant dyes, and restores the rich ochres used in rock and bark art. As the waters rise, it’s the time to gather berries, roots and leaves — nature’s palette — ready to be transformed into the deep blacks, reds and yellows used in storytelling or enjoyed as seasonal bush foods. “We collect lilies at this time; this is what the women do,” says Connie Nayinggul, an Aboriginal elder and artist who has lived her whole life in Mikginj Valley. “We have many stories about the water lily, and here’s how we paint them.” Connie is a member of the Manilagarr clan and a Traditional Owner of Mikginj Valley. Deeply rooted in Kunwinjku culture, she has served as a park ranger. She plays a pivotal role as an artist and cataloguer at Injalak Arts Centre (Injalak means ‘shelter’ in Kunwinjku), a creative hub in Gunbalanya on the western side of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
Now residing at her outstation in Mikginj, she continues to weave fibre art, coil baskets, and animal sculptures. “In the wet season, the lilies are scattered through the floodplains,” she says. “Their roots are food, their flowers show us the water is fresh, and their spirit is in our stories. We paint them to share the stories about our land.” For Kunwinjku people, seasons govern the flow of daily life, ceremony, and artistic expression. They also provide guidance on what materials to gather, when to harvest, and how to respect the land. For Connie and the other artists at Injalak, the seasons inspire their art, which offers a way to honour the land, share knowledge, and keep ancestral stories alive.
STORYTELLING THROUGH TIME
Arnhem Land’s history stretches back at least 60,000 years, with art serving as a way for Aboriginal people to pass down stories to their descendants. The region’s art isn’t just about expression — it’s a vital connection to land, culture and spiritual history. Since Injalak Arts Centre opened in 1989, these stories have reached a much wider audience. The hub where local artists gather to create, teach, and sustain cultural traditions is crucial in preserving and sharing the region’s artistic heritage. In 2024, the centre welcomed over 4,000 visitors.
Shaun Namarnyilk is one of the many talented artists who work with the centre, and he explains that art offers a way to ensure stories live on for future generations. “I paint with the spirit of the land, the seasons, and the ancestors,” Shaun explains. Inspired by his ancestors’ knowledge and aesthetics, Shaun is practising and developing the region’s hallmark ‘x-ray style’ technique. He layers paintings to create layers of meaning, much like the ancient rock art found in Injalak Hill — a must-see for those visiting Injalak. “The layers are all in one scene and symbolise both physical and spiritual stories,” he says. “When I leave my work out in the weather, I let nature add its own touch, just as it has for thousands of years with the rock art in our Country. The layers that form are like the layers of stories, passed down and built upon by those who came before me.” Shaun’s connection to the land also extends to the materials he uses. He collects ochre from the land, grounding his work in the natural world. The ochre is used to create textured surfaces that reflect the weathered and timeworn look of ancient rock art, blending the past and present in a timeless cycle of storytelling.
CONNECTION TO LAND
Another prominent artist from Injalak, Joey Nganjmirra, a member of the Djalama clan, blends traditional and abstract forms in his work, using interlinking figures and complex patterns to tell stories. His art reflects different stages of a single narrative, just as his background in dance influences his storytelling — Joey is a member of the Karrbarda dance troupe, where movement and rhythm merge with his visual art. For Joey, like Connie, Shaun, and many of the artists at Injalak, the six seasons of Arnhem Land are central to his work. “Dhaarratharramirri, Bärra’mirri, Dhärratharra, Rarranhdharr, Wärrwälak, and Gurnmul — these seasons shape everything, from the materials we gather to the stories we tell,” he says. “Each season has its time for collecting ochres, fibres, and dyes that bring our culture and art to life.”
Joey and Shaun explain that the best time to collect ochre is during Dhaarratharramirri (pre-monsoon), when dry riverbeds reveal red, yellow and white ochre deposits ready to grind into pigment or mix with binders (such as water, resin or animal fat) to create a durable paint. Beyond ochre, the region’s many art forms rely on other materials, each linked to the seasonal rhythms. For example, certain fibres must be gathered during the wet season for weaving, and Connie shares that Rarranhdharr (Dry Season) is the best time for this. “I do fishnet weaving, and the pandanus leaves we use for that have to be gathered in Bärra’mirri (Monsoon Season) when they’re at their freshest and most flexible. But the fibres aren’t flexible right away, so we store them at Injalak until Rarranhdharr, the dry season,” she explains. The women artists at Injalak use pandanus, paperbark, and other local plants gathered at the right times to craft fishnets, baskets, mats, and various other woven items.
“Our art is a living connection to the land, and the stories we tell will carry on for generations.”
THE RHYTHM OF SEASONS
In Arnhem Land, the shifting seasons are more than just weather — they are woven into Indigenous art’s stories, materials and techniques. Natural cycles guide artistic practice as much as they shape everyday life. As the water lilies emerge from the water each monsoon season, so too does art. Creators such as Connie, Shaun, and Joey call Injalak home and pass down stories to the next generation and visitors who venture to this beautiful part of Australia. Their creations carry the wisdom of the seasons. “We want tourists to come, and we want to share these stories with them so they can carry them back home,” says Connie. “Our art is a living connection to the land, and the stories we tell will carry on for generations.”
THE DETAILS
TOUR
The 8-day Arnhem Land & Kakadu Explorer with Outback Spirit includes a visit to the Injalak Arts Centre and offers experiences including meeting local Indigenous people to learn about their culture, exclusive fishing expedition of the Liverpool and Tomkinson Rivers, and visiting ancient rock art at Mount Borradaile. 2026 Everyday Fares start from $9,295 pp twin share with dates available in May and September.