Roxanne Thomas Buljie Buljie
Aboriginal Lardil Woman
“When I am painting I think about my culture and how it is struggling in the modern world and how different life is today compared to when I was a child.
My language name, Buljie Buljie, means mangrove rat. I paint my totem Balibal - the spotted stingray and it makes me feel good inside, proud and when I am finished and I can look at it hanging on a wall it makes me strong and feel that I am helping to keep my culture strong.
I was born in Cloncurry and my mum took me to Mornington Island while I was still a small baby. I was grown up by Tom and Dora Jacob.
I went to high school in Cairns but returned to Mornington Island to work at the local store when I was 15 years old.
I have two sons; the first Kyle was born when I was 19 and the second Brenton two years later. I have worked with the Mornington Island dancers for the last 15 years touring to countries such as USA, New Zealand, Japan, China and Palua. I have also toured all over Australia showing the wider Australian community our dances, culture and songs.”- Roxanne Thomas Buljie Buljie
@miartdesignsArtworks
Oyster Bank
Balibal
"This is about my totem, Balibal, the black diamond spotted stingray. Balibal was tied up with that ceremony that belongs to yellow trevally, shark (we call him Wurruku), that's the fella who made this channel here. The country of the song that Balibal starts is here in this channel between Mornington Island and Denham Island right up to Dunkaru. That's why it's my totem. When they been travel, they made that channel here, really they been run away from that lightning, that rain man. Lightning, he's the one that been frighten them. They were supposed to circumcise that yellow trevally over there on Denham Island, but they never
do him, that boy. Every time they dance, the white crane, he was the main song man and all those fish, Balibal, all them fella all come out to dance but they no good. Every time that lightning come out to dance, he sing out, squeal and frighten everyone away. They jumped in that river, this channel now. The shark was the first one to jump in and lead the way for all the people. But the songs they go with all those people." - Roxanne Thomas
Balibal
"This is about my totem, Balibal, the black diamond spotted stingray. Balibal was tied up with that ceremony that belongs to yellow trevally, shark (we call him Wurruku), that's the fella who made this channel here. The country of the song that Balibal starts is here in this channel between Mornington Island and Denham Island right up to Dunkaru. That's why it's my totem. When they been travel, they made that channel here, really they been run away from that lightning, that rain man. Lightning, he's the one that been frighten them. They were supposed to circumcise that yellow trevally over there on Denham Island, but they never
do him, that boy. Every time they dance, the white crane, he was the main song man and all those fish, Balibal, all them fella all come out to dance but they no good. Every time that lightning come out to dance, he sing out, squeal and frighten everyone away. They jumped in that river, this channel now. The shark was the first one to jump in and lead the way for all the people. But the songs they go with all those people." - Roxanne Thomas
Products
Oyster Bank by Roxanne Thomas - Original Painting - 40.5 cm (diameter)
Yarn Gallery