From the powerful Rainbow Serpent to kangaroos, crocodiles, turtles, barramundi, and echidnas, animals in Aboriginal art are far more than decoration. Across Arnhem Land, the Kimberley, the Western Desert, and beyond, Aboriginal artists use animal imagery to express ancestral law, Dreaming stories, hunting knowledge, clan identity, and deep spiritual relationships with Country.
Many traditional Aboriginal animal paintings also contain hidden layers of meaning. A crocodile may represent both a dangerous predator and an important ancestral being. Fish and turtles can refer to seasonal cycles, sacred waterholes, ceremony, and survival. In Arnhem Land bark paintings, artists often reveal the internal anatomy of animals through the famous X-ray style, transforming each creature into both a natural and spiritual subject.
Explore the meanings behind Australia’s most important Aboriginal animal symbols, discover regional painting styles, and learn how to identify authentic Aboriginal bark paintings and Dreaming imagery here:
Animals in Aboriginal Art