Bark Painting of Namarrkon by Garrett Pamkal

Garrett Pamkal

Dolobbo Bim (bark paintings) is a contemporary cultural practice that pays homage to the ancient paperbark shelters where Indigenous artists painted designs, sharing stories across the stone country and floodplains of Kakadu. 

During Kudjewk, the monsoon season spanning December to March, Indigenous artists will gather bark from stringybark or paperbark trees. This time of year is ideal for harvesting due to the bark's pliability, minimising the risk of cracking. To preserve the tree's health, artists carefully slice two vertical lines before peeling the bark, ensuring continued water and nutrient flow. After removal, debris is stripped, and the bark undergoes curing over a fire, enhancing flexibility and aiding in flattening. Weighted and left to dry for weeks, the bark is then primed for painting, representing a meticulous process honouring both tradition and sustainability.

Lightning Man, Namarrkon, remains one of the most significant mythological figures in Kakadu. He lives above the clouds, and hits and bangs his stone axes together, which are attached to his elbows and knees. Many paintings show how the electricity flows around his body from his testicles to his head.  He starts the lightning show to communicate to Bininj that something has been done wrong. It is told that Namarrkon gets specifically angry when people get married to the wrong spouses. 

Dimensions: 32cm H x 13.5cm W | Bark 

This artwork has been purchased directly from an Aboriginal artist in Kakadu National Park or Arnhem Land. Ochre Art Gallery is committed to supporting artists, their families and the local community.