Lily Karedada – Revered Wandjina Custodian of Kalumburu
Lily Karedada (also spelled Karadada, bush name Mindindil) emerges as one of the last and most prolific custodians of the Wandjina bark‑painting tradition in the remote Kimberley outpost of Kalumburu, Western Australia. Married to the distinguished artist Jack Karedada, Lily’s creative legacy spans bark, canvas, and traditional cultural objects—infused with both spiritual responsibility and visual subtlety.
This article serves as a refined guide to help you authenticate a potential Lily Karedada painting, identify hallmarks of her style, and understand the cultural weight carried by each brushstroke.
If you have a Lily Karedada bark painting to sell please contact me. If you want to know what your Lily Karedada painting is worth to me please feel free to send me a Jpeg because I would love to see it.
Identifying Lily Karedada’s Artistic Signature
Lily’s Wandjina figures are immediately recognisable. Rendered with litheness and layered with meaning, these spirit forms embody ancestral presence. Hallmarks of Lily Karedada’s style include:
- Pointed Shoulders: A distinctive feature tracing back to her custodial cave site, lending an angular silhouette unique amid Wandjina forms
- Eyes & Faces: Dominating black round eyes, framed by thick lashes, set upon mouthless white faces—evoking silent rain‑makers whose unspoken power preserves cosmic balance
- Rain Dotting: Ethereal veils of delicate dotting envelop figures, symbolising the sacred melding of blood and water, and the Wandjina’s enduring life‑force
- Totemic Elements: Accented with favored ancestral totems—turtles, bush turkeys, possum, and white cockatoo—rendered with elegant restraint
- Owl Affiliation: As member of the Jirrengar (owlet nighthar) moiety, Lily infused subtle references to the sacred owl spirit Dumbi, whose rescue by Wandjina underscores the protective role of these ancestral beings.
Material Practice & Evolution
Lily’s early career centered on making and painting spathe containers and baskets, underlining her role as a guardian of these ceremonial items. In the Mid 1970’s Lily mainly painted on bark, using local ochres and traditional techniques.
Lily did also paint on oval shaped panels of light wood and on flat pieces of slate
By the 1980’s, she masterfully transitioned to canvas and canvas board—without losing the ritual integrity of her art.
Life, Country & Cultural Context
Born circa 1937 on her Woonambal country near the Prince Regent River, Lily’s bush name Mindindil (“bubbles”) speaks poignantly of her origins—her father discovered bubbles in a spring and recognized her spirit in that sign
Following displacement due to the Benedictine mission’s establishment, Lily endured cultural suppression but preserved traditional ceremonies. Her partnership with Jack Karedada emerged as a cultural revival, most notably through early exhibitions of Wandjina art in Perth during the 1970s, catalyzed by advisor Mary Macha.
Lily’s reputation extended globally—her work is held in esteemed collections, and she received the Australian Centenary Medal in 2003 for her significant artistic contributions
Market Significance
Lily’s works are highly sought after. Auction records show figures of A$1,000–12,000+, depending on medium and provenance . Larger canvases, rare full-figure compositions, or pieces with strong provenance command premium interest.
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Lily Karedada Bark painting images
The following images are not a complete list of works by Lily Karedada. They do however give a good feel for the very distinctive style of this artist.
