Before making this print, Gulumbu suffered a serious medical condition from which she was not expected to recover let alone produce any more art. She amazed everyone with the strength of her recovery, possibly an attribute to her healing powers.

On a visit to the Art Centre post recovery, she asked if she could make a piece of art. Her visit coincided with the Yutan Project – a screen-printing workshop being held for youth using new media. Gulumbu embraced easily the new process and created this work using texta on acetate. A process unseen before in Yirrkala.

Although still frail she was able to complete this image over a two-day period and when asked the significance of the design she replied

‘ When a person is sick, or maybe dying, people gather around to sing and dance, laugh and cry to make that person happy. It is what we Yolngu do. Here are all the people trying to make that person feel better and these are all the tears they are crying.’

Text courtesy of Buku-Larrnggay Mulka