Wangu Taamanti Nurlurni

Description:

Wangu taamanthi nurlurni

This artwork was created for Swanbury Penglase Architects, as a gesture of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity towards Kaurna Country of the Adelaide Plains. Wangu taamanti nurlurni (Seven Glossy Ibis) rise together in flight, their wings carrying a spectrum of colours as they move between the land and the sky. The Glossy Ibis is a sacred totem of the Kaurna people and is closely connected to the rivers, creeks and wetland environments that have sustained Kaurna Country for millennia.

In this work, the birds represent a collective journey and are connected to the local waterways including the seven freshwater springs along the Adelaide coastline, these places are associated with the Kaurna creation story of Tjilbruki and his travels and the continuing importance of water being present within Country.

The rainbow like wings introduce another layer of meaning. Colour becomes a bridge between people and place — a symbol of diversity, hope, renewal and the possibility of coming together. Each bird is individual, yet the birds move as one flock, suggesting that reconciliation is not about erasing difference, but is about recognising difference while finding a shared direction.

For the artist, the work acknowledges that architectural design exists within Country rather than apart from it. It invites consideration of the cultural contexts and stories that are intertwined with the natural environment and the built environment of modified landscapes and of the continuing relationships between people, flora, fauna, and landscape.

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