Abuk | Exhibition Print

Edition: Limited to 10 
Size: 30cm x 30cm
Paper: Somerset Velvet for Epson - 255 gsm, 100% cotton rag

For the Dinka people of South Sudan, Abuk is remembered as the first woman. The Creator formed Abuk and Garang from clay and placed them in a great pot; when it was opened, Abuk emerged smaller than intended, and was placed in water until she swelled to full size.

In the story, Abuk and Garang were given only one grain a day for food. Abuk stretched it into paste, then saved grains to plant, crediting her with the first cultivation of grain. She is also linked to fertility, harvest, and the care of women and children, as well as the vital responsibility of water.

When Abuk tried to plant more crops, her long-handled hoe accidentally struck the Creator. The Creator withdrew, and a small blue bird, Atoc, cut the rope that once linked earth and sky, marking the beginning of illness, death, and hardship in the world. Yet Abuk’s act is remembered as one of provision rather than wrongdoing. She endures in Dinka memory as a first mother figure, honoured in communal celebrations and associated with wisdom, fertility, harvest, and strength.