Rhonda Duncan

"I’m Rhonda Duncan, my Aboriginal name is Brukgin, my skin is Gamanyjan. My mother is a Millwarparra woman and her language is Ngalakgan. My father is Ritharrŋu from north-east Arnhem Land. I like to paint the land and all the animals, birds.

When you look at Country it’s really open, you can get anything you need from that land. But we have to take proper care of that Country, look after that place, the river, billabong, every little thing in that land, my mother’s Country. All these places where we’ve painted reminds us of our ancestors and you can feel their spirit. When you go there you can feel them there watching what you’re doing. You can have that special thing inside you, that feeling, a sort of grieving.

When I was young we used to go out with mum and dad but I never was bothered to be an artist. I used to see my mum and dad be artist, my sisters and brothers too. One day I asked all my brothers and sisters to teach me but they all growled ‘no we don’t want to teach you, learn your own way”. After that I started drawing, carving, painting, doing my own style."

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Mi Rhonda Duncan, main blekbala neim imin Brukngin, main skin imin Gamanyjan. Main mami imin Millwarparra ledi en im langgus im Ngalakgan. Main dedi imin Ritharrŋu from Anem len. Mi leigim peintimbat det lend en ola enimul, bardbardmob.

Wen yu luk det Kantri imin rili open, yu gin gajim ola ebrijing from det lend. Bat mela garra maindim brabli du det kantri, luk afta det pleis, det riba, bilabong, ebri lil ting bla det len, main mami kantri. Ola dismob pleis weya wi bin peint remind melabat bla mela olpipul en yu gin filim ba alabat spirit. Wen yu gu ja yu gin filim alabat ja watching wannim yu dumbat. Yu gin abum det speshil ting na insaid la yu, det filim, grieving.  

Wen ai bin yanggel, melabat yustu gu at garra main mami en dedi bat ai nomo bin wandim dumbat at. Ai yustu luk main mami en dedi bi atis, main babamob du. Wan dei ai bin askim alabat ba titjim mi bat alabat bin tok “na mela nomo wandim titjim yu, lenim mijal”. Afta det ai bin stat drowim, kabin, peintimbat, dum main oun wei.