Kundurr – Death Adder

When I was young, my family took me on a long walk to a fishing spot out on Country. We spent the day catching fish and crabs, cooking by the fire and making memories that still stay with me. On the way back, someone in my family spotted a Death Adder lying on the ground. It was so well camouflaged in the leaves and sticks that I almost didn’t see it at first. I was amazed. My family explained that it was and how to stay safe around snakes like that. They told me how dangerous it can be, but also how clever it is – able to change it’s colours to blend into its surroundings. That was also when they told me what it’s called in our Kuku Yalanji language: Kundurr. Even through I’m scared of snakes. I’ve never forgotten how beautiful that Death Adder was. It’s colours, its stillness, the way it blended into the land. It felt like it belonged there, hidden in plain sight. That moment stayed with me. It’s why I chose to paint it.