Artist Profile The Wilfred mob

The Wilfred Mob’s joyous, forward-thinking installations animatedly restore coastal stewardship.

Artist Statement

How do we show the world our art—and warn them of the silent dangers drifting onto our shores? We gather, we weave, and we exhibit our stories in spaces where they can be seen and heard.

We are innovatively tackling the issue of “ghost nets”, a term for fishing nets that are hacked off commercial fishing vessels and abandoned in the water. Believed to make up 30-50% of all ocean plastic, ghost nets are a massive issue globally, however it is more problematic for some. Ocean currents carry ghost nets from all over the world into the Gulf of Carpentaria, where they harm vulnerable marine life, damage coral reefs and wash up on beaches where they end up buried in the sand or entangled in trees.

Lharagula Ngididin (Crocodile Trap in Ritharrngu) is a Wagilak weaving made with pandanus and ghost nets—breathing new life into materials once left to harm our land and sea. We honour both the old and new ways, weaving generations together in dialogue. With a series of imagined and poetic ghost net “traps”, we call attention to the damage left behind by discarded fishing nets, and we invite the world to listen—to Country, to culture, to us.

An imagined object, a crocodile trap is not a traditional hunting tool, but like the use of ghost nets in weaving at Numbulwar is something that us—weavers—have instigated ourselves. Like many sea creatures, perhaps even crocodiles have been trapped in it.

“A subtle and humorous act of resistance and self-determination, Lharagula Ngididin (Crocodile Trap) turns the onslaught of external forces into a source of power, while reiterating the unwavering connection between Numburindi people, their Country and the life that exists within it.” said Ella Doonan.

Together in our Walgilag clan, we created this 290cm Lharagula Ngididin. Who knows—maybe it will catch a crocodile for us after all.

Artist Biography

The Wilfred mob is a group of indigenous Ritharrngu artists, originally from Ngukurr but now living in Numbulwar in the Northern Territory of Australia. They are Rose Wilfred, Joy Wilfred, Virginia Wilfred, Karishama Wilfred, Rena Guyula, Nathaniah Murrungun, and Beverly Nundhirribala. They mostly grew up in Walker River in South-East Arnhem Land and carry a strong weaving culture passed down from their grandmothers, aunties, and mothers. Each member is a master weaver in her own right. By combining Maguj (pandanus) and Nanja (ghost nets), they have created a series of colorful, environmentally friendly decorative pieces known as “traps”, along with incredibly versatile dilly bags. The most powerful piece they imagined is Lharagula Ngididin (Crocodile Trap).