Sandra Delaney
Nunagal, Goenbal and Ngugi, Quandamooka • Artist & Designer
Artist Statement
Miriginpah
This star is grounded in Quandamooka Sea Country and the interconnectedness of Biramjara (Sky Country), land and sea. Mirigin is the Jandai word for star, and the work draws on the story of Miriginpah, the sea eagle named for the hill at Pulan (Amity) on Minjerribah.
The woven lines within the star reference the fishing nets used by our old people and the movement and gathering of nyandagal (mullet) through Quandamooka waters.
Miriginpah watched from above for the mullet coming into the bay, connecting Sky Country with what was happening below on Sea Country.
The flowing lines suggest tides, currents and pathways across Country, while the interconnected structure of the star speaks to the three Quandamooka clans and the sharing of culture, knowledge and memory across generations.
For me, the star is not separate from Country. It is part of a much larger cultural landscape where Biramjara, land and Sea Country remain connected. This also responds to Superhighway: Country Sings to Stars Dancing — one star becoming part of a larger constellation of First Nations stories, knowledge and connections.
Image: Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) 2027 Collaborative Hero Artwork Commission: Superhighway – Country Sings to Stars Dancing. Digital mixed media. Created with Red Ochre Republic by First Nations designers Tarquin Singleton (Yirrganydji) and Sheree Jacobs (Meriam), with creative contributions from CIAF Artistic Director, Teho Ropeyarn (Angkamuthi and Yadhaykana) and artists Peggy Kasabad Lane (Saibai Koedal Awgadhalgal), Jack Wilkie-Jans (Waanyi, Teppathiggi and Tjungundji), Sandra Delaney (Nunagal, Goenbal and Ngugi, Quandamooka), Douglas Tamwoy (Thupmul Clan, Gudang Yadhaykenu Tribe, Badu & Erub Islands), Daphne de Jersey (Gangalidda, Waanyi and Garawa) and Sabrina Rose-Toby (Gangulu).