Artworks will be available to be collected or shipped from Koorie Heritage Trust from Tuesday 24 February 2026 once the exhibition has closed.
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Iluka Sax-Williams (he/him), Taungurung of the Kulin Nation & Tibrean of Zenadth Kes
Gunnawarra – The Black Swan, 2025
kangaroo skin, pyrography
190 x 95 x 3 cm
One very hot day, Gunnawarra was out looking for a waterhole she could bathe in, as the heat of the day was almost upon her. Gunnawarra rushed through the forest, flying past all the other animals in a desperate search for water.
She then spotted a clear, lush watering hole glistening in the distance. Without hesitation, Gunnawarra quickly swooped down into the water, splashing around and washing herself off with relief.
High above, Bundjil the Wedge-tailed Eagle and Creator Spirit, was soaring through the sky, scanning over his land when he spotted an unfamiliar white swan splashing around in his watering hole. This made Bundjil furious, as all the animals across the land knew to stay out of Bundjil’s watering hole.
In a flash, Bundjil instantly plunged out of the sky, fury blazing in his eyes. He launched an all-out attack, swooping, slashing, cutting, and piercing the white swan. Gunnawarra cried out but there was no escape. Bloodied and broken, she was left in the shallows, the water around her turning red.
Bundjil swiftly lifted into the air, leaving the white swan behind to send a brutal warning to not to defy Bundjil’s rules and lore.
Out of nowhere, Waa the Crow and Protector spirit, descended from high up in the treetops. He had secretly been watching everything unfold from afar. In a quick effort to save Gunnawarra, Waa began dancing around him, shaking the earth and pulling out his feathers. Waa danced and danced, placing each feather he pulled out into the fallen swan. Mysteriously, Waa’s ancient magic began to spark energy within Gunnawarra, vibrantly swirling his feathers all over the swan, raising her up out of the shallows.
Suddenly, Gunnawarra’s head shot back up with eyes full of life, her wings stretched wide, revealing her dark black feathers and fierce blazing red beak.
“This is the story of how the white swan became black. You can still today see the blood on her beak from when Bundjil attacked Gunnawarra that day long ago.”
