Walabi (Fishing nets) shops design by Injalak Women on cotton

Hand screen printed cotton (145 cm wide)
The base cloth is purple and has been screened with two screens. The bottom is a lilac and navy colour fade and the top screen is white.

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All our fabrics are designed and hand-printed by our members in our workshop in Gunbalanya in West Arnhem Land, NT.

Designers:
Sylvia Badari, shops Priscilla Badari, Lynne Nadjowh

The design:
Walabi (fishing net). In the old days walabi (fishing nets) were used to catch djenj (fish) in the creeks, channels and river mouths of Western Arnhem Land. The mesh of the nets is woven and knotted from ‘bush string' made from different plants such as mankulurrudj (sand palm), manburnde (banyan) roots or manbudbud (kurrajong) bark. Holding the net in shape is bush cane. This design features small fishing nets that were used to catch little aquatic creatures such as namarddakka (nail fish) and wakih (freshwater shrimp). Old ladies remember as children they would splash the water so the fish would move towards the trap and be scooped out with the net.