‘Rainbow Serpent’ - Meshak Nabegeyo

Title: Rainbow Serpent

Artist: Meshak Nabegeyo

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas (Matte Finish)

Size: 500mm (W) x 600mm (H)

Region: Gunbalanya, West Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

Year: 2023

Notes: Artwork includes a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Paper & Pen.

This piece is stretched on a pine wood frame. Please leave a note at checkout if you would like it shipped with or without the frame — the canvas can be carefully removed and posted separately.

Artwork Description:

Rainbow Serpent by Meshak Nabegeyo is a striking acrylic painting that celebrates one of the most powerful ancestral beings in Aboriginal culture — the Rainbow Serpent, creator and guardian of water sources and life. Rendered in Meshak’s distinctive Arnhem Land style, the piece features intricate linework and symbolic patterns that capture the movement, strength, and spiritual essence of this sacred figure. The matte finish adds depth and texture, bringing the artwork’s freshwater and Dreaming elements to life.

About the Artist:

Meshak Nabegeyo is an emerging Aboriginal artist from Gunbalanya, West Arnhem Land. His artwork often reflects the freshwater stories and traditional totems of his Country, with recurring subjects including the long-necked turtle, barramundi, and yawk yawk (female water spirit). Meshak also paints important cultural narratives such as The Turtle and Echidna Story and Bewk Bewk, showcasing his deep cultural knowledge and connection to his ancestral lands.

Son of respected artists Robyn Nawirridj and Mugudu Nabegeyo, and brother to Anita Nabekeyo, Meshak continues his family’s artistic legacy through contemporary interpretations of traditional stories that honour his heritage and community.