EXHIBITINGARTISTS

Painters

Andrew Wanamilil

Angela Malibirr Banyawarra

Mr B Black Durbuma

Dorothy Djampalil

EVONNE Gayuwirri

Evonne Rraraypum

JB Fisher

Joy Borruwa

Joy Burruna

Peter Gambung

Selena Munguluma

Weavers

Jenny Malibirr

Julie Djulibing Malibirr

Karen Durrurrnga

Kathleen Malpamba

Margaret Djarrbalal

Mary Dhalapany

Mary Matjandatja Malibirr

“All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) that were created long ago close to the beginning of time. These creator beings moved across the countryside, shaping the land and implanting in each tract of country, the spiritual life force for the people who were to own it. These creative spirits took many forms and when they gave the land to each group, they also gave songs, dances, ceremony, the associated laws and language.”

Made famous by the film The Ten Canoes (as in the still (top right) of Ramingining resident and actor Jamie Gulpilil), the Aboriginal Memorial of 200 ceremonial poles in the National Gallery of Australia and more recently, the YouTube series Black As and the young Tik Tok sensations Taris & Taris, the art of Ramingining in Central Arnhem Land has had a long and illustrious history.

In this exhibition, 18 talented painters and weavers celebrate their traditional area of the Arafura Wetlands.

Their paintings feature birds, animals, water life and creation stories while intricately woven natural fibre mats and bags have both practical and ceremonial usage.

Four hundred and fifty kilometres east of Darwin the Arafura Wetlands is a near pristine 700-1300 square kilometre freshwater floodplain and likely the largest of its kind in Australia. It is hugely rich in plant species, water life, birds, marsupials, and other wildlife. Its traditional owners – the Yolngu – are based largely in the community of Ramingining, bordering the edge of the Wetlands.

Art from Ramingining has attracted international acclaim since the 1930s and 40s with the detailed bark paintings by artists such as David Malangi, George Milpurrurru and others. Its community art centre Bula’bula Arts currently supports the work of 150 artist members who work in fibre art, painting and print making. In the early 1990s, the artists introduced painting on canvas, choosing to restrict their colour palette to those of the country in greys, greens, browns, yellows, black and white.

The work of 11 painters, and 7 weavers is represented in this exhibition. Many paintings, such as those by current Bula’bula chair Andrew Wanamilil, senior artists Dorothy Djampalil, Evonne Gayuwrri, Joy Burruna and Peter Gambung, and young generation artist Selena Munguluma are multi layered and fluid in their design in subject matters reflective of their people’s rich cultural history and richness of their freshwater country’s plants and wildlife.

Other artists such as the late Mr B Black Durbuma, Evonne Rraraypum and Joy Borruwa use fine lines and more spare imagery to depict the scales and movement of barramundi through the water, or the creation story of the flying fox and dogs with which the fox interacted.

The strikingly fine fibre bags and mats are meticulously woven from pandanus and coloured with natural dyes by weavers Jenny Malibirr, Julie Djulibing Malibirr, Karen Durrurrnga, Kathleen Malpamba, Margaret Djarrbalal, Mary Dhalapany, Mary Matjandatja Malibirr. Traditionally, the intricately woven conical mats called Nganiyal were erected in tent-like fashion and served as both an insect screen and protection from the sun, and as a sitting mat when folded. They are also used in Ceremonies. Today, artists weave many different shapes including flat, round and oblong.

All these works emanate from the artists’ traditional lands, centering around the life-filled, spectacularly beautiful Arafura Wetlands.

Susan McCulloch May 2023