Mulku ṉ Wirrpanda The Last Exhibition
Aboriginal & Pacific Ar t is honoured to present
Mulku ṉ Wirrpanda The Last Exhibition In association with Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre
6 April - 1 May 2021
Cover page: (detail) Buḻwutja, #1981-20, Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 163 x 81 cm Next page: (detail) Gipipi, #2557-19, Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 145 x 78 cm
Ms. Wirrpanda died on 16th February 2021. So talking about her is still difficult. What we can say is that she lived an amazing life. Her upbringing as a child living in traditional Yolŋu manner amongst the conflict of first contact is almost unimaginable from the perspective of an industrialised person. Her classificatory father Dhakiyarr speared and killed a white policeman who he believed was about to rape her mother Djaparri. This led to the High Court of Australia overturning his death sentence and acquitting him although he disappeared on the day of his release believed killed in revenge by Police. In the aftermath the family fled to Groote Eyelandt and she became fluent in Anandiliyakwa a language unrelated in any way to her native Yolŋu matha. She retained this fluency until her last.
She grew living from the land and learning through the spiritual dimension. Throughout her life she was a constant presence in the almost continuous cycle of ceremonies. The thing that can’t be put into words is the depthless knowledge of land and law that she held. But glimpses appear in this exhibition. Her artistic focus on the minutiae of nature began in 2011. It progressed from edible plant species in the Miḏawarr series through to edible shellfish in the Maypal series to the complex web of species inhabiting termite mounds in the Guṉḏirr series. Following a serious health setback in late 2020 she determinedly returned to her artmaking. Although seriously weakened she maintained her vivacious good humour and intelligence. This is the heartbreaking last series of her late career. Works made under great adversity but which still shine with the brilliance of her hand and mind. -Will Stubbs, Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, 2021
Ralapiny, Muthiyarra, pearl This work is an extension of a phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. Mulkuṉ has been finding new ways to paint and promote nutritional plants that are no longer eaten widely. As a child there were very many healthy old people and now there are few. In those days old people lived for a long time without illness. She blames poor diet and the loss of knowledge. In 2017 accompanying Mulkuṉ and John Wolseley’s NMA show Miḏawarr | Harvest, the book of the same name was published with words by Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda (MW), Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs (MGS), Greg Leach (GL) and Glenn Wightman (GW). Following this theme she moved on to painting varieties of Maypal or shellfish and these were exhibited in a sold out show at Salon in Darwin in August 2018. In this work she shows Muthiyarra or Rralapiny. The Yolŋu dictionary says of Muthiyarra Meaning: shell, oyster--large, with pearls, not eaten by Yolŋu turtle shell” This shellfish is recorded as not being eaten by Yolŋu. The name Muthiyarra is the same as that used by the Bugis and is the Bahasa word for the same thing. Ralapiny refers to the back pearl. Long term trading relationships between Yolŋu and outsiders began long before Captain Cook. There are several pearl farms in the Northern range of Miwatj region even today.
Ralapiny, Muthiyarra, Pearl Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 189 x 90 cm #1343-19
Latjin Mangrove worms In 2017 accompanying Mulkuṉ and John Wolseley’s NMA show Miḏawarr | Harvest, the book of the same name was published with words by Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda (MW), Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs (MGS), Greg Leach (GL) and Glenn Wightman (GW). Following this theme she moved on to painting varieties of Maypal or shellfish and these were exhibited in a sold out show at Salon in Darwin in August 2018. This work pays homage to the gathul. The mangrove ecosystem is a massive centre of Yolŋu coastal life. Knowledge of its extensive and complex patterns is key to survival. The shellfish, crabs, fish and other foodstuffs are often hidden where only a knowledgeable eye can find them. These mangrove trees are hiding a rich harvest of Ḻatjin, a Teredo Worm (Bactrnonophorus thoracites). There are a number of varieties of these molluscs known to Yolŋu. This species is also known as Ḏomurra which can also describe all mangrove worms. This one may be eaten raw but the other two Gätji and Milka’ must be cooked.
Latjin Mangrove worms Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 159 x 66 cm #2686-19
Gipipi In 2018, inspired by Dr Bentley James’ book Maypal, Mayali’ ga Wäŋa (shellfish, meaning & place) Mulkuṉ began to paint the essence of shellfish she has grown up with. She achieves this by painting the species as she knows them in their naturalistic form without reference to their sacred identity. This follows a similar phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. This work describes the round flat sharp very skinny bumpy disk of the edible shellfish Gipipi. Found in mud or on sandflats at low tide. Other Yolŋu names are Girripipi, Bamparrawarr, Giyipi. Latin name is Isognomon ephippium. Gipipi also describes Placuna lincolnii and Placula placenta. It often sits a couple of feet down in soil mud so the hunter finds it when it slices their soles as they sink on to its upright blade. A common name is Mangrove Oyster. When cooked on the fire it has a small delicate scallop like orange meat sandwiched between the two flat halves. It is said that if you eat too much or unused to it the first time you may get a mild diarrhea the next day. The inside of the shell is a silver shiny surface similar to mother of pearl which is sometimes used for jewellery or decoration. It is Dhuwa.
Gipipi Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 173 x 69 cm #3188-19
Gipipi In 2018, inspired by Dr Bentley James’ book Maypal, Mayali’ ga Wäŋa (shellfish, meaning & place) Mulkuṉ began to paint the essence of shellfish she has grown up with. She achieves this by painting the species as she knows them in their naturalistic form without reference to their sacred identity. This follows a similar phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. This work describes the round flat sharp very skinny bumpy disk of the edible shellfish Gipipi. Found in mud or on sandflats at low tide. Other Yolŋu names are Girripipi, Bamparrawarr, Giyipi. Latin name is Isognomon ephippium. Gipipi also describes Placuna lincolnii and Placula placenta. It often sits a couple of feet down in soil mud so the hunter finds it when it slices their soles as they sink on to its upright blade. A common name is Mangrove Oyster. When cooked on the fire it has a small delicate scallop like orange meat sandwiched between the two flat halves. It is said that if you eat too much or unused to it the first time you may get a mild diarrhea the next day. The inside of the shell is a silver shiny surface similar to mother of pearl which is sometimes used for jewellery or decoration. It is Dhuwa.
Gipipi Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 145 x 78 cm #2557-19
Buḻwutja Buḻwutja (Dhuwa, Cycnogeton dubium) is a water yam and described In the artist’s words the following: ‘This story is from a long time ago. People travelled around from place to place to hunt for ŋatha (food). First we dig in the water for Buḻwutja. Then we make a fire. When the fire burns down we take the coals to one side and put sand on top of them. Then the hot sand cooks the Buḻwutja. When you pick the Bu’wutja it is white from the water. It tastes sweet. We have eaten this ŋatha for a long time. New generation always goes to the shop to get shop food.’ Bulwutja described in the words of Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda in the book Miḏawarr | Harvest that was published by her and John Wolseley in 2017: ‘This is one of the plants which belong to the Dhuḏi-Djapu as well as the Djapu. It is a plant which is sung by my own clan. It grows in and around the billabongs and swampy areas. The plants grow in clumps after the rains, and you pull them out in clumps. You cook it underground or on coals and then mash it into a blackish grey paste that is tasty and nutritious. This paste can also be baked into a bread. Buḻwutja grows on the Garaŋarri floodplain, south of Dhuruputjpi, and also at Lumatjpi, near Yilpara where the songs tell of the spirit woman Marrnyili. Men sing the songs of this food entangled with the identity of this place. They sing the journey of this woman through the landscape: Mokuywa Ngatha Marrnyiliwa Buway buway buway Marrtji ṉämbarra ŋupan ḻarrumany.
There they go, the spirit women Marrnyili walking walking walking with their knees and their elbows lifting high in the air this way and that threading through the paperbark saplings searching for their food’ MW
Buḻwutja Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 163 x 81 cm #1981-20
Buḻwutja Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 89 x 68 cm #2016-20
In this painting you can see that the leaves are all spread out on the top of the water
Buḻwutja Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 112 x 44 cm #1893-20
Läka This is a painting about a special smell. Läka. ‘When you go to a billabong where there is räkay; you can smell it from afar, you can smell the smell known as läka, and that smell brings tears to my eyes. To most old people that smell takes them back to the past and the future and the present. It is the smell of the reeds, of the räkay that has been trodden down by the geese and the ducks walking on it … so the feet of the geese break and bend the reeds and that smell mixes with the billabong, with the water, and you can smell it from a long way away. And you can see it in my painting. Some of the stems are standing up and some have been pushed flat.’
Läka Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 96 x 46 cm #2069-20
Ŋäḏi ga Guṉdirr This work is an extension of a phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. This coincided with artist John Wolseley’s interest in returning to Yilpara (after they had met during the Djalkiri project of 2010) and the two spent an extended period exploring the botany of Blue Mud Bay. John Wolseley spent a week at Yilpara with Mulkuṉ in May 2012 and again at Yirrkala in June 2013, June 2014 and then May and December 2015. The visits continued in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2017 accompanying Mulkuṉ and John Wolseley’s NMA show Miḏawarr | Harvest, the book of the same name was published with words by Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda (MW), Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs (MGS), Greg Leach (GL) and Glenn Wightman (GW). In this work she has continued with the concept of symbioses and in this case eusociality. She has depicted the relationship between munyukuluŋu Magnetic termites Amitermes meridionalis, or compass termite, a species of eusocial insect in the family Termitidae. It is endemic to northern Australia and the common names derive from the fact that the wedgeshaped mound is aligned with its main axis running north and south and ŋäḏi, Northern Meat Ants, Iridomyrmex sanguineus. Mulkuṉ painted these idiosyncratic termite mounds inhabited not by their makers but by their symbiotic partners the meat ant. This is an example of empirical observational Yolŋu knowledge. She paints it as common knowledge but an internet search reveals this to be scientific esoterica. When the harvest time comes it is common for women to gather large numbers of yams and to create a guṉdirr (ground oven) which is named after the fragments of termite mounds which would be placed on top of the large fire in a pit to retain the heat once it is covered with paperbark. This is the source of her knowledge.
Ŋäḏi ga Guṉdirr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 101 x 54 cm #2500-20
Ŋäḏi ga Guṉdirr This work is an extension of a phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. This coincided with artist John Wolseley’s interest in returning to Yilpara (after they had met during the Djalkiri project of 2010) and the two spent an extended period exploring the botany of Blue Mud Bay. John Wolseley spent a week at Yilpara with Mulkuṉ in May 2012 and again at Yirrkala in June 2013, June 2014 and then May and December 2015. The visits continued in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2017 accompanying Mulkuṉ and John Wolseley’s NMA show Miḏawarr | Harvest, the book of the same name was published with words by Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda (MW), Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs (MGS), Greg Leach (GL) and Glenn Wightman (GW). In this work she has continued with the concept of symbioses and in this case eusociality. She has depicted the relationship between munyukuluŋu Magnetic termites Amitermes meridionalis, or compass termite, a species of eusocial insect in the family Termitidae. It is endemic to northern Australia and the common names derive from the fact that the wedgeshaped mound is aligned with its main axis running north and south and ŋäḏi, Northern Meat Ants, Iridomyrmex sanguineus. Mulkuṉ painted these idiosyncratic termite mounds inhabited not by their makers but by their symbiotic partners the meat ant. This is an example of empirical observational Yolŋu knowledge. She paints it as common knowledge but an internet search reveals this to be scientific esoterica. When the harvest time comes it is common for women to gather large numbers of yams and to create a guṉdirr (ground oven) which is named after the fragments of termite mounds which would be placed on top of the large fire in a pit to retain the heat once it is covered with paperbark. This is the source of her knowledge.
Ŋäḏi ga Guṉdirr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 111 x 40 cm #2688-20
Honey Grass Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr From here Mulkuṉ has made further observations in her art. This is the habit of certain birds to nest in the termite mounds. She has depicted Pardalotes nesting in little holes in termite mounds. But something even smaller finds a home here. The little honey bees, ḏawurr (Trigona sp.) make their nest in the termite mound. This particular form of nest is barŋgitj. This is the Yirritja moiety form as opposed to hives which are in the high tree which are Dhuwa and known as Yarrpany which typically has a long ‘nose’ made of wax which is the entrance tunnel of the hive protruding from the tree. Mulkuṉ takes the connections further in this piece featuring the Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul ot Läwarr grass which is used as a mop for extracting the honey so it may be eaten. This grass is described as Alloteropsis semialata. The brush or honey mop is called a Märṯ.
Honey Grass Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 122 x 51 cm #2883-20
Honey Grass Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 97 x 52 cm #2842-20
Honey Grass Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 112 x 65 cm #2834-20
Honey Grass Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 98 x 56 cm #2649-20
Honey Grass Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 93 x 52 cm #2677-20
Dhulwaṉ This is an artwork of the floodplains. It shows the Dhulwaṉ or Rirrilil or Gulku - fern like edible vegetation which grows in this mud.
Dhulwaṉ Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 126 x 55 cm #2390-19
Yarranu This is the essay that accompanied this work in ‘Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda-the Last Exhibition’ held at Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery in April 2021. As described in this essay her last phase was a series of works of organic white paintings referencing shellfish and mangroves completed at a time when she was physically weakened from illness but still cheerful and loving her painting. The particular creature in this work is Yarranu which she described as a larger version of Warrapal- the Variegated Venus Clam Tapes dorsatus.
Yarranu Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 134 x 78 cm #723-21
Yarranu Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 61 x 39 cm #606-21
Yarranu Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 63 x 43 cm #607-21
Yarranu Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 94 x 38 cm #559-21
Yarranu Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 69 x 31 cm #472-21
Yarranu This is the essay that accompanied this work in ‘Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda-the Last Exhibition’ held at Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery in April 2021. As described in this essay her last phase was a series of works of organic white paintings referencing shellfish and mangroves completed at a time when she was physically weakened from illness but still cheerful and loving her painting. The particular creature in this work is Yarranu which she described as a larger version of Warrapal- the Variegated Venus Clam Tapes dorsatus.
Yarranu Earth Pigments on Stringybark, 126 x 24 cm #688-21
Larrakitj Mulkuṉ has been finding new ways to paint and promote nutritional plants she ate as a child that are no longer eaten widely. As a child there were very many healthy old people and now there are few. In those days old people lived for a long time without illness. She blames poor diet and the loss of knowledge. In 2017 accompanying Mulkuṉ and John Wolseley’s NMA show Miḏawarr | Harvest, the book of the same name was published with words by Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda (MW), Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs (MGS), Greg Leach (GL) and Glenn Wightman (GW). In this work she has continued with the concept of symbioses and in this case eusociality. She has depicted the relationship between munyukuluŋu Magnetic termites Amitermes meridionalis, or compass termite, a species of eusocial insect in the family Termitidae. It is endemic to northern Australia and the common names derive from the fact that the wedge-shaped mound is aligned with its main axis running north and south and ŋäḏi, Northern Meat Ants, Iridomyrmex sanguineus. Wirrpanda painted these idiosyncratic termite mounds inhabited not by their makers but by their symbiotic partners the meat ant. This is an example of empirical observational Yolŋu knowledge. She paints it as common knowledge but an internet search reveals this to be scientific esoterica. When the harvest time comes it is common for women to gather large numbers of yams and to create a guṉdirr (ground oven) which is named after the fragments of termite mounds which would be placed on top of the large fire in a pit to retain the heat once it is covered with paperbark. This is the source of her knowledge. In the final artwork Pardalotes and Yams, #2798-20 Wirrpanda has made further observations in her art. This is the habit of certain birds to nest in the termite mounds. The birds depicted in this particular image are Striated Pardalotes. Their name is Djuḏutjuḏumun.
Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark hollow pole, 265 x 26 cm #3399-20
Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark hollow pole, 215 x 18 cm #3266-20
Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark hollow pole, 241 x 10 cm #2975-20
Bulmirri, Ŋatjpul, Läwarr Earth Pigments on Stringybark hollow pole, 252 x 16 cm #3020-20
Pardalotes and Yams Earth Pigments on Stringybark hollow pole, 256 x 14 cm #2798-20
Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda Ar tist Biography Ar tist: Date of Bir th: Homeland: Clan:
Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda 1942 Dhuruputjpi Dhuḏi-Djapu, Dha-malamirr
Moiety: Dhuwa
Dhäkiyarr Wirrpanda and widow to Wakuthi Marawili, a Maḏarrpa clan leader who lived at Yilpara until his death in mid-2005. She is also mother (by kinship) to senior artist and clan leader Djambawa Marawili. Mulkuṉ paints Dhuḏi-Djapu miny’tji (sacred design) that depicts her land at Dhuruputjpi. As the eldest and most knowledgeable of her clan, she is acknowledged as a leader. Mulkuṉ is one of the few Yolŋu women to have this status. Mulkuṉ was an early practitioner of works without figurative imagery within the miny’tji (sacred clan design). Until recently the painting of this ‘raw’ miny’tji was restricted to ceremonial use. The work is always done using natural earth pigments (ochres). Yalata and Darraŋgi are areas she usually paints, which are at her clan estate Dhuruputjpi, where she resides. Mulkuṉ paints on bark, ḻarrakitj (memorial poles) and yiḏaki (didjeridus) and is a talented carver, weaver and print maker. Her work has been exhibited throughout Australia and in Asia. From 2012 she began a phase where the artist of her own motion explored lesser known plant species which she feared were being forgotten by younger generations. This coincided with artist John Wolseley’s interest in returning to Yilpara (after they had met during the Djalkiri project of 2010) and the two spent an extended period exploring the botany of Blue Mud Bay. She wants to renew the knowledge of these plants because when she was young this is the food that she grew up on. In those days old people lived for a long time without illness. John Wolseley spent a week at Yilpara with Mulkuṉ in May 2012 and again at Yirrkala in June 2013, with further visits in 2014 and 2015. Their exhibition “Mulkun Wirrpanda & John Wolseley: Two old artists looking for shellfish” is currently touring the country. The collaboration led to Miḏawarr/Harvest a joint exhibition acquired and exhibited at the National Museum of Australia in October 2017 which toured to Darwin and Melbourne. She then held a sell out show on the topic of Maypal- shellfish and moved from there to another successful exhibitionon the theme of termite ecosystems. Each one of these themes has led on one from the other naturally.
In 2021 Mulkuṉ’s a series of large format paintings on bark, board and larrakitj were included in ‘The National’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney alongside her longtime friend and adopted bother John Wolesley. Sadly Mulkuṉ passed in February 2021 before this show opened. Her spirit and knowledge as an artist will live on forever through her art. Solo Exhibitions 2021 Mulkuṉ - The Last Exhibition - Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery 2020 Guṉḏirr-Mulkuṉ Wirrapanda - Outstation Gallery 2018 Maypal - Shellfish of the Arafura Coast - Vickers St Gallery, Parap, NT Group Exhibitions 2021 The National - MCA 2020 Djorra - Works on Paper - Raft Gallery, Alice Springs 2019 Tarnanthi 2019 - Art Gallery of South Australia 2019 Balnnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Whitlam Institute Gallery UWS NSW 2019 Salon des Refuse - Charles Darwin University Art Gallery 2019 Mulkun Wirrpanda & John Wolseley: Two old artists looking for shellfish - Australian Galleries, Melbourne VIC 2019 Balnnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Cowra Regional Art Gallery,Cowra NSW 2019 Top End Ochre - Everywhen Artspace, Mornington Peninsula VIC 2019 Midawarr/Harvest The art of Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley - Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Melbourne Museum, VIC 2019 Molluscs/Maypal and the Warming of the Seas : Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley - Geelong Art Gallery 2019 Balnnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong 2018 Balnnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Warwick Art Gallery, Warwick QLD 2018 Matriarchs: Motherlines of the Yolgnu and Tiwi Islands - The Cross Art Projects, Sydney 2018 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Caboolture, QLD 2018 Minytji - Essence of the Land - Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Gallery, Bruxelles, Belgium 2018 Miḏawarr- Harvest - The art of Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda and John Wolsely -Touring Exhibition - Museum and Art gallery of the Northern Territory 2018 Minytji - Essence of the Land - Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Gallery, Bruxelles, Belgium 2018 Miḏawarr- Harvest - The art of Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda and John Wolsely -Touring Exhibition - Museum and Art gallery of the Northern Territory 2018 Gapan Gallery 2018 - Gapan Gallery, Garma Festival, Gulkula, Northeast Arnhem Land NT 2018 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Griffith NSW 2018 Bark paintings and larrakitj from Yirrkala - Nomad Art, Darwin NT 2018 art Karlsruhe 2018 - ARTKELCH @ art Karlsruhe 2018, Karlsruhe, Germany
Group Exhibitions continued.. 2017 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Tasmanian Museum And Art Gallery, Hobart 2017 Wüste – Meer – Schöpfermythen - ARTKELCH Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum Köln, Germany 2017 Gapu-Moṉuk: Saltwater Journey to Sea Country - National Australian Maritime Museum 2017 Entwined - Tarnanthi 2017 - Santos Museum of Economic Botany, Botanical Gardens of South Australia 2017 Tarnanthi 2017 - Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide SA 2017 Miḏawarr- Harvest - The art of Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda and John Wolsely -Touring Exhibition - National Museum Australia ACT 2017 Earth Matters: Aboriginal artwork from the Kimberley and Arnhem Land - FORM - The Goods Shed, Perth WA 2017 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Bayside Arts and Cultural Centre Gallery, Brighton Victoria. 2017 Saltwater: A Collection of Bark Paintings & Carved Objects - Yaama Ganu Gallery, Moree NSW 2017 Gapan Gallery 2017 - Gapan Gallery, Garma Festival, Gulkula, Northeast Arnhem Land NT 2017 Balnnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - Castlemaine State Festival, Castlemaine Market Building, VIC 2017 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Touring Exhibition - University of Newcastle Gallery, Newcastle 2017 Legends and Lore - Artitja Fine Art, Perth WA 2017 Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka - ARTKELCH Karlsruhe Germany 2017 Buku-Larrnggay - ARTKELCH, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany 2017 Mulka - ARTKELCH Collectors Lounge @ kptec, Schorndorf, Germany 2016 Gapan 16 - Prints from Garma 2016 - Chapman & Bailey and Hanging Vallery, Melbourne VIC 2016 Gapan Gallery, Darwin - Nomad Art, Darwin NT 2016 Gapan Gallery in the Past - Nomad Art Productions, Darwin NT 2016 Salon des Refuse 2016 - Charles Darwin University Gallery, Darwin NT 2016 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Yirrkala Printspace Exhibition - Gapan Gallery, Garma Festival, Gulkula, Northeast Arnhem, Land NT 2016 Yirrkala Print Space Group Show - Koskela, Sydney NSW 2016 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Charles Darwin University Gallery, Darwin NT 2016 Balnhdhurr - A Lasting Impression - Charles Darwin University Gallery, Darwin NT 2015 Country & Western: landscape re-imagined - National Trust S.H Ervin Gallery, Sydney NSW 2015 Balnhdhurr: A Lasting Impression – Tarnanthi 2015 - Adelaide College of the Arts, Adelaide SA 2015 String Theory: Focus on contemporary Australian art (National tour) - Glasshouse, Port Macquarie NSW 2015 String Theory: Focus on contemporary Australian art (National tour) - Wollongong Art Gallery, Wollongong NSW 2015 Mother to Daughter: On Art and Caring for Homelands - The Cross Art Projects, Sydney NSW 2015 The Cross Art Projects foregrounds contemporary work and curatorial projects that reflect the multiple relationships between art and life, art and the public sphere, and explores the boundaries of th - The Cross Art Projects, Sydney NSW
Group Exhibitions continued.. 2015 String Theory: Focus on contemporary Australian art (National tour) - Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns QLD 2015 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Bark Paintings and Sculptures from East Arnhem Land - Yirrkala, Northeast Arnhem Land NT 2014 String Theory: Focus on contemporary Australian art (National tour) - Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Caboolture QLD 2014 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Yirrkala Print Space Exhibition - Gapan Gallery, Garma Festival, Gulkula, Northeast Arnhem Land NT 2014 String Theory: Focus on contemporary Australian art (National tour) - Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT 2013 Djalkiri, we are standing on their names, Blue Mud Bay - Wagga Wagga art Gallery, NSW 2013 String Theory: Focus on contemporary Australian art - Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Sydney NSW 2013 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Yirrkala Print Space Exhibition - Gapan Gallery, Garma Festival, Gulkula, Northeast Arnhem Land NT 2011 Miyalk - Women, Feminine Art from Yirrkala - Framed Gallery, Darwin NT 2010 Barrupu Yunupingu & Mulkun Wirrpanda: Fire, Water and Honey - The Cross Art Projects, Sydney NSW 2010 27th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award - Winner 3D Category - Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT 2010 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Print Space - Collograph Print Exhibition - Gapan Gallery, Festival of Darwin NT 2010 Djalkiri - we are standing on their names - Nomad Art, 24-Hour Art, Darwin Festival, Darwin NT 2010 17th Biennale of Sydney - Larrakitj, the Kerry Stokes Collection - Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney NSW 2010 17th Biennale of Sydney - Larrakitj, the Kerry Stokes Collection - Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney NSW 2010 Art and Soul - Art Gallery of New South Wales, NSW 2010 Ten: Highlights of the Holmes a Court Collection 2000-2010 - ,Holmes a Court Gallery, Perth WA 2009 After Berndt - Etchings from the Drawings - Indigenart, Mossenson Gallery, Subiaco. WA 2009 Flames, Floods and Honey - bark paintings by Mulkun Wirrpanda and Barrupu Yunupingu, - Cross Arts Project, Kings Cross, Sydney NSW 2008 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Yirrkala Print Space Exhibition - Gapan Gallery, Garma Festival, Gulkula, Northeast Arnhem Land NT 2008 Galuku Gallery (Nomad Art Productions) - Darwin Festival, Darwin Botanical Gardens, NT 2008 25th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards - Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin NT 2007 ‘One Lore Two Law Outlaw - Dhakiyarr v’s the King’ recent bark paintings by Mulkun Wirrpanda, - Cross Art Projects, King Cross, Sydney, NSW 2007 Bukulungthunmi - Coming Together, One Place - Raft Artspace, Darwin NT 2006 l’Esprit de la terre d’Arnhem, art Aborigene du Nord de l’Australie - Passage de Retz, Paris FRANCE
Group Exhibitions continued.. 2006 ‘Walking together to aid Aboriginal Health’ - Shalom College, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2006 Art d’Australie - Galerie Seine 51, Paris 2005 Yåkumirri (exhibition purchased by the Holmes a Court Collection) - Holmes a Court Gallery, Perth WA 2005 Exhibition - Australian Embassy, Paris FRANCE 2004 Solo Show - The Blue Pineapple Cafe, Brisbane QLD 2004 Circle. Line. Column - Annandale Galleries, Sydney NSW 2001 ‘Extinction Denied’ Humane Society International - Volvo Gallery, Sydney NSW 2000 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, Perth WA 2000 Printmakers Touring Exhibition - Ben Grady Gallery, Canberra ACT 2000 Printmakers Touring Exhibition - Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane QLD 1999 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD 1999 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs NT 1999 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - Museum of Modern Art at Heide, Melbourne VIC 1999 Buku-Larrnggay Printmakers Exhibition - The Original Dreamtime Gallery, Alice Springs NT 1999 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - The National Maritime Museum, Sydney NSW 1999 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 1999 Buku Printmakers and Dhalwa?u Paintings - Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London UK 1999 ‘Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala’ - A National Tour - Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 1999 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Yirrkala Print Space Exhibition - Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne VIC 1999 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Yirrkala Print Space Exhibition - Alcaston House Gallery, Melbourne VIC 1999 Gapu Miny’tji - - Sacred Water Designs of the Australian Aborigines of north-east Arnhem Land - Crafts Museum, Delhi, India 1999 Printmakers Touring Exhibition - Hogarth Galleries, Sydney NSW 1999 Printmakers Touring Exhibition - Boomali, Sydney NSW 1998 Buku-Larrnggay Printmakers Exhibition - Northern Territory University, Darwin NT 1998 Buku-Larrnggay Printmakers Exhibition - Northern Territory University, Darwin NT 1998 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka printmakers exhibition - Buku-Larrnggay, Yirrkala NT 1998 Buku-Larrnggay Mulka printmakers exhibition - Buku-Larrnggay, Yirrkala NT
Mediums Print Making Pandanus and Natural Dyes Earth pigments on Stringybark Earth pigments on native hibiscus Earth pigments on Stringybark hollow pole Collections National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW Buku-Larrnggay Mulka - Saltwater - Yirrkala Bark Paintings of Sea Country Holmes a Court Collection Kerry Stokes Larrakitj Collection, WA Collections Berndt Museum, University of Western Australia, Perth WA Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney NSW National Museum of Australia, Canberra ACT Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide SA British Museum, London, UK Charles Darwin University Art Collection Artbank, Sydney NSW RMIT University Art Collection Bibliography 1999 Saltwater - Yirrkala Bark Paintings of Sea Country. Published by Buku-Larrngay Mulka ISBN 0 646 37702 7 2004 Dhakiyarr vs the King, Documentary, Film Australia 2010 Catalogue: 17th Biennale of Sydney - The Beauty of Distance, Songs of Survival, in a Precarious Age. ISBN 978 064652 794 9 2010 Djalkiri - We are Standing on Their Names. Catalogue Nomad Art Productions 2017 Miḏawarr Harvest- The art of Mulkun Wirrpanda and John Wolseley 2017 ARTKELCH – Robyn Kelch: Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka, Exhibition catalogue, Freiburg, Germany 2017 ARTKELCH – Robyn Kelch: Wüste – Meer – Schöpfermythen, Exhibition catalogue, Freiburg, Germany Awards 2020 Finalist NATSIAA, MAGNT, Darwin 2004 Major protagonist in Dhakiyarr vs. The King winner Rouben Mamoulian Award for the Most Outstanding film of the 13 Finalists in the Dendy Awards at the Sydney Film Festival.
Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda – The Last Exhibition Aboriginal & Pacific Art, Sydney In association with Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, Yirrkala, NT 6 April - 1 May 2021 All images and text remain copyright of the Artist and Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre.
Ms. Wirrpanda will be exhibiting alongside 12 other artists at The National 2021: New Australian Art held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from the 26 March - 22 August 2021
Aboriginal & Pacific Art, 1/24 Wellington Street, Waterloo, NSW, 2017 Australia Ph: +61 2 9699 2211 E: info@aboriginalpacificart.com.au W: www.aboriginalpacificart.com.au