Caroline Josephs PhD
Sydney, Australia
Artist, Writer, Storyteller, Researcher, Educator
GULAGA MOONLIGHT DREAMING
Paintings (with Elder permission) by Caroline Josephs Ph.D. -- who knew and worked with Dulumunmun for over twenty years, taking people into country to hear his stories, sometimes weaving stories of her experiences with Indigenous people with his, or leading creative workshops arising from storytellings in Country.
In Yuin Country on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, the creation story
tells that Daramah, Great Creator, creates everything -- heavens and earth and
all nature.
And then two people are created… a woman first (Ngardi), and then a man (Tunku).
Daramah gives woman and man two gifts -- of rock, tree. From these two gifts,
everything necessary for survival comes -- including shelter, warmth.
LHS image - Rock and Tree - the gifts that Daramah gave Ngardi and Tunku.
RHS - Three Rocks that sit one on top of another.
At the bottom of the three rocks is the one that tells where we come from -- we come
from the land.
The next rock that sits on top of that one -- in the middle, tells us where we are now.
We are between love and hate, between hunger and fullness, between evil and
greatness. It shows us how important it is to live each day at a time.
The rock at the top points to the heavens. It shows
us that’s where we go when our spirit leaves our
body and passes into another world.
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Gulaga Moonlight Dreaming 1 - 78” x 58”
Diptych, Acrylic, inks on canvas, hemmed and eyeleted
Gulaga Moonlight Dreaming 2 - 38” x 12” Acrylic on canvas
SOLD
[Adapted from words of Dulumunmun, Elder of the Yuin people, south coast, New South Wales]