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Dhuwarrwarr Marika

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Dhuwarrwarr Marika
Born1946 (age 77–78)
Yirrkala, Northern Territory, Australia
Other namesBanuminy
Known forContemporary Indigenous Australian art, bark painting, printmaking
FatherMawalan 1 Marika
RelativesWandjuk Marika (brother),
Banduk Marika (sister),
Bayngul Marika (sister)
Laklak Marika (sister)
FamilyMarika Family

Dhuwarrwarr Marika (born 1946), also known as Banuminy, a female contemporary Aboriginal artist. She is a Yolngu artist and community leader from East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. She belongs to the Dhuwa moiety of the Rirratjingu clan in the homeland of Yalangbara,[1] daughter of Mawalan Marika. Marika is an active bark painter, carver, mat maker, and printmaker.[2]

Early life

Dhuwarrwarr Marika, also known as Banuminy, was born in 1946 in Yirrkala, in the East Arnhem Land area of the Northern Territory. She is a member of the Rirratjingu, Miliwurrwurr group and their language is Dhangu. She is part of the Dhuwa moiety.[3] Dhuwarrwarr Marika is the daughter of Mawalan Marika, who was the leader of the Rirratjingu people, one of the contributors to the Yirrkala bark petitions, and the founder of the Marika artistic dynasty.[2] Her siblings are Wandjuk Marika (brother), Banduk Marika (sister), Bayngul, and Laklak.[4] Dhuwarrwarr learnt how to paint from her father, which was unconventional at the time. She learned the art of basketry from her mother and aunt. Her father allowed for her to help him with his painting towards the end of his life, when his health was slowly deteriorating.[5] After consultation with his sons, brothers, and other community elders, Dhuwarrwarr was authorised to paint alongside her father, including the painting of sacred designs. After the death of her father, she took a break from painting and when she expressed interest in continuing, she requested permission from her brothers once again.[2]

She is believed by many (including Howard Morphy and herself) to be the first Yolngu woman to be given permission to paint sacred designs on her own.[citation needed]

Career

After graduating from school, Marika worked as a nurse in Yirrkala, Darwin and Sydney before returning home and developing her artistic skills.[6] Her earliest recorded paintings were completed in the 1970s.[6]

Over time, she has become more active in bark painting, carving, mat making, and printmaking. Her work has been included in numerous group exhibitions around the world from the 1980s onwards, including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. She has also exhibited work in one solo exhibition, which sold out in a matter of five minutes, titled “Milngurr - Sacred Spring” at the Vivien Anderson Gallery in Melbourne in 2008.[2]

In 1999, together with sisters Gaymala and Gulumbu Yunupingu, Marika was engaged to paint a large film set for the film Yolngu Boy, based on the historic Yirrkala Church Panels.[7]

Marika has produced murals for community buildings at Yirrkala, for Darwin Airport, the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, and the Atherton School in Queensland.[6]

Her artistic style combines Rirratjingu sacred designs from her father with more contemporary elements.[5] The mediums that she often uses include earth pigments on stringybark, earth pigments on stringybark hollow poles, pandanus and natural dyes, earth pigments on native hibiscus, earth pigments on ironwood, and print making.[8]

She has created numerous prints at the Yirrkala Print Space at the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre. At the Yirrkala Print Space,[9] Marika works alongside other female artists. She considers her artwork as a means of passing her culture to the next generations and a way of sharing her culture with the outside world.[6]

Political involvement

Marika is an executive member and women's council representative for the Northern Land Council.[6] Marika and other members of her family, who were passionate advocates for Indigenous rights, became involved in the Gove Land Rights Case of 1971.[5] This case eventually led to the passing of the first land rights legislation in Australia.[10]

As a senior statesperson for her people, Marika has participated in numerous local and national committees. In 1993, she was invited to Europe as a speaker for the opening of the international travelling exhibition Aratjara - Art of the First Australians.[11]

Collections

Marika's work is featured in major public collections across the world, including:

Significant exhibitions

  • "The Painters of the Wagilag Sisters Story 1937 - 1997" at the National Gallery of Australia[2]
  • "Balnnhdurr - A Lasting Impression" - Touring Exhibition[2]
  • "Saltwater Country - Bark Paintings from Yirrkala" - A National Tour in Australia[2]
  • "Milngurr - The Sacred Spring" at the Vivien Anderson Gallery
  • Tarnanthi 2019/20[14] at the Art Gallery of South Australia
  • "Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka: Mittji" (2019),[15] at the Hugo Michell Gallery
  • "Grey Areas" (2017)[16] Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery NYC

Awards

References

  1. ^ "Untitled (Turtle and Fish) by Dhuwarrwarr Marika". Australian National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Dhuwarrwarr Marika". Australian National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Yolngu Culture". Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Banduk Marika". Sites and Trails NT. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Dhuwarrwarr Marika". Gallery Gondwana. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e National Museum of Australia. "The Marika family". www.nma.gov.au. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  7. ^ Angel, Anita (3 February 2011). "(Nancy) Gaymala Yunupingu". Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Buku-Larnnggay Mulka Centre" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Buku Art Centre: Yirrkala Print Studio". Buku Art Centre. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017.
  10. ^ Hookey, John (1 March 1972). "The Gove Land Rights Case: A Judicial Dispensation for the Taking of Aboriginal Lands in Australia?". Federal Law Review. 5 (1): 85–114. doi:10.1177/0067205X7200500105. ISSN 0067-205X. S2CID 159400237.
  11. ^ Mundine, Djon (June 2013). "Ich Bin Ein Aratjara: 20 years later". Artlink. 33 (2): 52–55.
  12. ^ "Dhuwarrwarr Marika | Artists | NGV". www.ngv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  13. ^ "NGA collection search results". artsearch.nga.gov.au. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Tarnanthi". Mutual Art. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka: Mittji". Mutual Art. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery NYC: Grey Areas". Mutual Art. Retrieved 4 May 2020.

Further reading


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