"This is a painting of human bones. They have their own songlines. When someone passes away they get the bones and they sing all day and then they bury them. That’s how they used to do it in the olden days. Then the boss one (junggayi) will make a totem stick for the grieving family. They cut a tree and paint it and decorate it with feathers. Then they dig a hole and stand up the totem sticks they painted. It stays there forever as memories for the family."

Wally Wilfred im Wägilak men. Im skin Wamut en im kantri Ŋilipidji, gulijap la Blue Mud Bay. Imin bon la Mountain Valley, en im femli bin futwok, ḻukudhu (la fut), dijei la Ropa en Numbulwar.

Wally imin atis la Ngukurr Arts burrum 2003. Imin migi im ounwan stail, we im mikstimap braitwan kala en longtaimwan rarrk peinƟng. Wally im bulurumbat im amuri Sambo Barra Barra. Im wek luk la koltja said, longtaim en didei gin. Im wek tok bla histri en stori mob.

Wally im dum peinting la olkainabala laik peipa, ŋaḏan (bak peinting) en dharpa (wadi). Imin migi adifek burrum ḏubal tri en bulgut tri. Im dum loda skolptja du, im wek gada wadi en olwan metul burrum rabish damp. Det skolptja ma im bulurum im peinting. Alabat dali stori, samtaim bla koltja en samtaim bla wani munanga mob bin dum la im pipul en kantri wen alabat bin fes gaman en bringima ola bujinbala thing laik shuga, djambaku en biya.

Wally Wilfred is a Wägilak man. His skin name is Wamut and his country is Ŋilipidji, near Blue Mud Bay. He was born at Mountain Valley, and he walked, ḻukudhu (on foot), with his family from there to Ngukurr and Numbulwar.

Since 2003, Wally Wilfred has been associated with Ngukurr Art Centre. Developing a unique style, Wally brings together traditional techniques with bold and contemporary use of colour. Continuing in the footsteps of his grandfather Sambo
Barra Barra, Wally’s work explores traditional and present day culture with history and storytelling.

Wally paints on paper, ŋaḏan (bark) and dharpa (wood). He makes cultural artefacts from dubal (Leichhardt tree) and bulgut (kurrajong). Wally is also a keen sculptor, working with wood and found objects. Wally’s sculptures continue in the same path as his paintings. They tell stories, sometimes about culture, sometimes about the effect the munanga (white fella) have had on his people and country since they first arrived with their poisons; sugar, tobacco and beer.

Wally Wilfred has exhibited both nationally and internationally. He has artworks in many permanent collections including the Art Gallery of NSW, the Art Gallery of South Australia, and the University of Wollongong art collection.