8 Hele Gallery
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Exhibitions
  • Stockroom
  • Artists
  • Contact
Menu

Artworks

Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Walter Brooks, Wai-Ai (Bima), 2023

Walter Brooks

Wai-Ai (Bima), 2023
Ironwood With Locally Sourced Ochres
93 cm
318-23-BROW-0005
$ 3,653.85
Enquire
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EWalter%20Brooks%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EWai-Ai%20%28Bima%29%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E2023%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EIronwood%20With%20Locally%20Sourced%20Ochres%3Cbr/%3E%0A%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E93%20cm%3C/div%3E
Wai-ai (Bima) was the wife of Purukaparli, the first Tiwi to perform the pukumani (funeral) ceremony (for his deceased son). While gathering bush tucker Wai-ai was enticed into the trees...
Read more
Wai-ai (Bima) was the wife of Purukaparli, the first Tiwi to perform the pukumani (funeral) ceremony (for his deceased son). While gathering bush tucker Wai-ai was enticed into the trees to make love with her brother in law, Taparra. She left her baby son Jinani in the shade, but was away for so long that he perished from heatstroke. Her husband, enraged and devastated, fought Taparra, who flew away and became the moon. Wai-ai became the curlew bird, forever crying out her grief in the dusk.

Courtesy of Jilamara Arts
Close full details

Provenance

Jilamara Arts & Crafts 318-23

Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Email
Previous
|
Next
1169 
of  1645
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2026 8 Hele Gallery
Site by Artlogic
Instagram, opens in a new tab.
Facebook, opens in a new tab.

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join our mailing list

Signup

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.