Didjeridu

Djilpin Art’s didjeridus are sourced on country and hand cut from Woolybutt trees. Artists travel considerable distances on foot to find the right Woolybutt tree naturally hollowed out by termites. Scraping back the bark with a sharp axe and flicking it with a finger, an artist can quickly hear how hollow a tree is. Good instruments are then hand-cut and taken back to camp to be worked, shaped, sanded, tuned and finished with either paint or oil to preserve the natural finish.

These are top quality musical instruments, highly regarded worldwide, and still used in ceremony and performance today.

Pitch, toot and overall length noted on the photographs. The longer the didj the lower the pitch; a shorter didj will give a higher sound.

Artists proudly include:

Frankie Lane
Frankie is a senior Mayali man who has lived most of his life at Beswick. A master of Mago (West Arnhem didjeridu), Frankie also works on canvas, bark and local timbers, He has produced designs for bronze, textiles and print for Djilpin’s Gapu series. Frankie paints with the traditional grass brush, a skill learned from master such as David Blanasi. He is a founding member of Djilpin and has served as a Director for many years.

Travis Seccin
Travis is a dedicated guide for Djilpin Art's museum and on country tourism program. Having been "grown up" by senior elder, Djilpin Art's board member and custodian Frankie "Tango" Lane, Travis has been surrounded by art, artists and cultural knowledge from a younger age.

He has spent many an hour watching, helping and preparing work for Tango. Circa mid-2022 Travis decided to give artefact making a go first hand. Under Tango's tutelage he has learned to shape and tune Mako (didgeridoo), shape and paint clap-sticks as well as harvest bark. 

Brendan Ashley
Brendan is a young cultural songman singing, playing and performing both Bungul and Bongiliny Bongiliny.

Brendan fondly remembers running around on country as a kid, playing with a simple didj created from a small PVC pipe. From here he was tapped on the shoulder by his Uncle Raymond Guyula Ashley who taught him the important songlines which he now holds. 

Armed with cultural knowledge, speaking multiple languages, and deep bush connection, Brendan is a powerhouse of traditional aboriginal knowledge, and has recently come on board working with Djilpin Arts both as an artsworker and cultural tour guide. 

He not only carves Yidaki (Yolngu style of didjeridu), but also paints using a traditional Jarlk grass reed brush.

Fabian Sandy
Fabian was born in Yirrkala and now lives in Beswick. He was taught to paint by his mother. Fabian prefers to paint with a Jarlk grass reed brush and traditional bush colours in modern acrylics. He generally paints saltwater stories on canvas or bark, and also carves and makes Yidaki’s or didjeridus. Fabian is also a traditional dancer and master didjeridu player winning multiple prizes at the yearly Barunga festival.

Lance Guyula
Lance is a self taught artefact maker specialising in traditional hunting implements. As a young boy Lance used to watch his Grandfather and other old people create artefacts. These artists didn’t officially teach, and instead Lance learned through observation and then practice, repetition being key to his success.

At some point Lance realised he could make a good functional spear and continues to proudly do so today. “Each time I make gubudhu (spear) I think of the old people and how they would have done it.”

Lance is proud to use traditional materials and techniques, but also happily works with modern materials due to convenience of access. Lance occasionally makes Yidaki, or didjeridu in Yolngu style. These he gets songman Brendan Ashley to blow first to ensure the tune is right.

Harry Malibirr
Harry was born at Elcho Island and is an artistic cultural man through mediums of painting, carving and ceremonial dancing of Bungul. Harry learned art through watching and absorbing knowledge from his father and uncle. Both were painters who encouraged Harry to paint small bits of their art, helping gather knowledge, skills and confidence.  

Harry works with both modern acrylics, as well as traditional ochres/stones and is confident with a Jarlk reed brush. He works on canvas and bark, while also carving yidaki or didj, and larrakitj or lorrkon.