Latest news with #YolŋuPower
Perth Now
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
From Arnhem Land to the world, power of art on show
Wurrandan Marawili's towering sculpture has been welded and carved out of road signs - and it's not just art, but an expression of cultural and political power. "We are Yolŋu and we got power from our paintings, singing, songs and dancing," the artist said. "I think this is very important, to tell the story for the world and share our culture." His artwork, Gamata - flames beneath the sea, is part of the major winter exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, titled Yolŋu Power: Art of Yirrkala. The show features eight decades of work from more than 70 artists connected to the small community of Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In just one example of how art from this area is regarded globally, 42-year-old Marawili has recently returned from New York City. He travelled there for the final instalment of an exhibition of Yirrkala bark painting, that has been touring the US for the past three years. Rock bands Yothu Yindi and King Stingray also hail from the region, along with Marawili's own musical outfit, Garrangali band. Artists connected to Yirrkala were among the first Indigenous Australians to deploy their art for political ends, as an expression of cultural identity. In 1963 the Bark Petitions were created in Yirrkala to protest against bauxite mining: the first documents showing First Nations relationships to land to be recognised by federal parliament, they mark the beginning of the land rights movement. The previous year in 1962, the documentation of creation stories in the Yirrkala Church Panels helped kickstart the Aboriginal art movement. The Art Gallery of NSW's relationship with Yirrkala's Aboriginal-owned art centre, now known as the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, stretches back decades. While the exhibition has been developed over several years, it's the first major curated show under recently appointed director Maud Page. "Art from Yirrkala has really had an explosion internationally, and about time," she said. Page said AGNSW was the first institutional gallery in Australia to display work from the centre as art, rather than cultural objects. Yolŋu Power has been installed in the gallery's new Naala Badu building, the same space that has housed blockbuster shows by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The Yolŋu Power exhibition is structured around significant developments in art from the region, from bark painting to printmaking, digital installations, and sculptures of discarded metal. The show opens with a video projection showing daily life in Yirrkala, followed by an installation of dozens of towering carvings of Moku spirits. Rooms of bark paintings show off traditional styles, while a display of prints demonstrates how the adoption of this medium gave rise to the use of brilliant colours and everyday, rather than sacred, subjects. Then there's digital art: a room of animated projections that dance across the floor of the gallery and over the shape of a termite mound, accompanied by music. The exhibition runs until October 6. AAP travelled with the assistance of the Art Gallery of NSW.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
From Arnhem Land to the world, power of art on show
Wurrandan Marawili's towering sculpture has been welded and carved out of road signs - and it's not just art, but an expression of cultural and political power. "We are Yolŋu and we got power from our paintings, singing, songs and dancing," the artist said. "I think this is very important, to tell the story for the world and share our culture." His artwork, Gamata - flames beneath the sea, is part of the major winter exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, titled Yolŋu Power: Art of Yirrkala. The show features eight decades of work from more than 70 artists connected to the small community of Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In just one example of how art from this area is regarded globally, 42-year-old Marawili has recently returned from New York City. He travelled there for the final instalment of an exhibition of Yirrkala bark painting, that has been touring the US for the past three years. Rock bands Yothu Yindi and King Stingray also hail from the region, along with Marawili's own musical outfit, Garrangali band. Artists connected to Yirrkala were among the first Indigenous Australians to deploy their art for political ends, as an expression of cultural identity. In 1963 the Bark Petitions were created in Yirrkala to protest against bauxite mining: the first documents showing First Nations relationships to land to be recognised by federal parliament, they mark the beginning of the land rights movement. The previous year in 1962, the documentation of creation stories in the Yirrkala Church Panels helped kickstart the Aboriginal art movement. The Art Gallery of NSW's relationship with Yirrkala's Aboriginal-owned art centre, now known as the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, stretches back decades. While the exhibition has been developed over several years, it's the first major curated show under recently appointed director Maud Page. "Art from Yirrkala has really had an explosion internationally, and about time," she said. Page said AGNSW was the first institutional gallery in Australia to display work from the centre as art, rather than cultural objects. Yolŋu Power has been installed in the gallery's new Naala Badu building, the same space that has housed blockbuster shows by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The Yolŋu Power exhibition is structured around significant developments in art from the region, from bark painting to printmaking, digital installations, and sculptures of discarded metal. The show opens with a video projection showing daily life in Yirrkala, followed by an installation of dozens of towering carvings of Moku spirits. Rooms of bark paintings show off traditional styles, while a display of prints demonstrates how the adoption of this medium gave rise to the use of brilliant colours and everyday, rather than sacred, subjects. Then there's digital art: a room of animated projections that dance across the floor of the gallery and over the shape of a termite mound, accompanied by music. The exhibition runs until October 6. AAP travelled with the assistance of the Art Gallery of NSW. Wurrandan Marawili's towering sculpture has been welded and carved out of road signs - and it's not just art, but an expression of cultural and political power. "We are Yolŋu and we got power from our paintings, singing, songs and dancing," the artist said. "I think this is very important, to tell the story for the world and share our culture." His artwork, Gamata - flames beneath the sea, is part of the major winter exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, titled Yolŋu Power: Art of Yirrkala. The show features eight decades of work from more than 70 artists connected to the small community of Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In just one example of how art from this area is regarded globally, 42-year-old Marawili has recently returned from New York City. He travelled there for the final instalment of an exhibition of Yirrkala bark painting, that has been touring the US for the past three years. Rock bands Yothu Yindi and King Stingray also hail from the region, along with Marawili's own musical outfit, Garrangali band. Artists connected to Yirrkala were among the first Indigenous Australians to deploy their art for political ends, as an expression of cultural identity. In 1963 the Bark Petitions were created in Yirrkala to protest against bauxite mining: the first documents showing First Nations relationships to land to be recognised by federal parliament, they mark the beginning of the land rights movement. The previous year in 1962, the documentation of creation stories in the Yirrkala Church Panels helped kickstart the Aboriginal art movement. The Art Gallery of NSW's relationship with Yirrkala's Aboriginal-owned art centre, now known as the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, stretches back decades. While the exhibition has been developed over several years, it's the first major curated show under recently appointed director Maud Page. "Art from Yirrkala has really had an explosion internationally, and about time," she said. Page said AGNSW was the first institutional gallery in Australia to display work from the centre as art, rather than cultural objects. Yolŋu Power has been installed in the gallery's new Naala Badu building, the same space that has housed blockbuster shows by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The Yolŋu Power exhibition is structured around significant developments in art from the region, from bark painting to printmaking, digital installations, and sculptures of discarded metal. The show opens with a video projection showing daily life in Yirrkala, followed by an installation of dozens of towering carvings of Moku spirits. Rooms of bark paintings show off traditional styles, while a display of prints demonstrates how the adoption of this medium gave rise to the use of brilliant colours and everyday, rather than sacred, subjects. Then there's digital art: a room of animated projections that dance across the floor of the gallery and over the shape of a termite mound, accompanied by music. The exhibition runs until October 6. AAP travelled with the assistance of the Art Gallery of NSW. Wurrandan Marawili's towering sculpture has been welded and carved out of road signs - and it's not just art, but an expression of cultural and political power. "We are Yolŋu and we got power from our paintings, singing, songs and dancing," the artist said. "I think this is very important, to tell the story for the world and share our culture." His artwork, Gamata - flames beneath the sea, is part of the major winter exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, titled Yolŋu Power: Art of Yirrkala. The show features eight decades of work from more than 70 artists connected to the small community of Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In just one example of how art from this area is regarded globally, 42-year-old Marawili has recently returned from New York City. He travelled there for the final instalment of an exhibition of Yirrkala bark painting, that has been touring the US for the past three years. Rock bands Yothu Yindi and King Stingray also hail from the region, along with Marawili's own musical outfit, Garrangali band. Artists connected to Yirrkala were among the first Indigenous Australians to deploy their art for political ends, as an expression of cultural identity. In 1963 the Bark Petitions were created in Yirrkala to protest against bauxite mining: the first documents showing First Nations relationships to land to be recognised by federal parliament, they mark the beginning of the land rights movement. The previous year in 1962, the documentation of creation stories in the Yirrkala Church Panels helped kickstart the Aboriginal art movement. The Art Gallery of NSW's relationship with Yirrkala's Aboriginal-owned art centre, now known as the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, stretches back decades. While the exhibition has been developed over several years, it's the first major curated show under recently appointed director Maud Page. "Art from Yirrkala has really had an explosion internationally, and about time," she said. Page said AGNSW was the first institutional gallery in Australia to display work from the centre as art, rather than cultural objects. Yolŋu Power has been installed in the gallery's new Naala Badu building, the same space that has housed blockbuster shows by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The Yolŋu Power exhibition is structured around significant developments in art from the region, from bark painting to printmaking, digital installations, and sculptures of discarded metal. The show opens with a video projection showing daily life in Yirrkala, followed by an installation of dozens of towering carvings of Moku spirits. Rooms of bark paintings show off traditional styles, while a display of prints demonstrates how the adoption of this medium gave rise to the use of brilliant colours and everyday, rather than sacred, subjects. Then there's digital art: a room of animated projections that dance across the floor of the gallery and over the shape of a termite mound, accompanied by music. The exhibition runs until October 6. AAP travelled with the assistance of the Art Gallery of NSW. Wurrandan Marawili's towering sculpture has been welded and carved out of road signs - and it's not just art, but an expression of cultural and political power. "We are Yolŋu and we got power from our paintings, singing, songs and dancing," the artist said. "I think this is very important, to tell the story for the world and share our culture." His artwork, Gamata - flames beneath the sea, is part of the major winter exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, titled Yolŋu Power: Art of Yirrkala. The show features eight decades of work from more than 70 artists connected to the small community of Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In just one example of how art from this area is regarded globally, 42-year-old Marawili has recently returned from New York City. He travelled there for the final instalment of an exhibition of Yirrkala bark painting, that has been touring the US for the past three years. Rock bands Yothu Yindi and King Stingray also hail from the region, along with Marawili's own musical outfit, Garrangali band. Artists connected to Yirrkala were among the first Indigenous Australians to deploy their art for political ends, as an expression of cultural identity. In 1963 the Bark Petitions were created in Yirrkala to protest against bauxite mining: the first documents showing First Nations relationships to land to be recognised by federal parliament, they mark the beginning of the land rights movement. The previous year in 1962, the documentation of creation stories in the Yirrkala Church Panels helped kickstart the Aboriginal art movement. The Art Gallery of NSW's relationship with Yirrkala's Aboriginal-owned art centre, now known as the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, stretches back decades. While the exhibition has been developed over several years, it's the first major curated show under recently appointed director Maud Page. "Art from Yirrkala has really had an explosion internationally, and about time," she said. Page said AGNSW was the first institutional gallery in Australia to display work from the centre as art, rather than cultural objects. Yolŋu Power has been installed in the gallery's new Naala Badu building, the same space that has housed blockbuster shows by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The Yolŋu Power exhibition is structured around significant developments in art from the region, from bark painting to printmaking, digital installations, and sculptures of discarded metal. The show opens with a video projection showing daily life in Yirrkala, followed by an installation of dozens of towering carvings of Moku spirits. Rooms of bark paintings show off traditional styles, while a display of prints demonstrates how the adoption of this medium gave rise to the use of brilliant colours and everyday, rather than sacred, subjects. Then there's digital art: a room of animated projections that dance across the floor of the gallery and over the shape of a termite mound, accompanied by music. The exhibition runs until October 6. AAP travelled with the assistance of the Art Gallery of NSW.
West Australian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
From Arnhem Land to the world, power of art on show
Wurrandan Marawili's towering sculpture has been welded and carved out of road signs - and it's not just art, but an expression of cultural and political power. "We are Yolŋu and we got power from our paintings, singing, songs and dancing," the artist said. "I think this is very important, to tell the story for the world and share our culture." His artwork, Gamata - flames beneath the sea, is part of the major winter exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, titled Yolŋu Power: Art of Yirrkala. The show features eight decades of work from more than 70 artists connected to the small community of Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. In just one example of how art from this area is regarded globally, 42-year-old Marawili has recently returned from New York City. He travelled there for the final instalment of an exhibition of Yirrkala bark painting, that has been touring the US for the past three years. Rock bands Yothu Yindi and King Stingray also hail from the region, along with Marawili's own musical outfit, Garrangali band. Artists connected to Yirrkala were among the first Indigenous Australians to deploy their art for political ends, as an expression of cultural identity. In 1963 the Bark Petitions were created in Yirrkala to protest against bauxite mining: the first documents showing First Nations relationships to land to be recognised by federal parliament, they mark the beginning of the land rights movement. The previous year in 1962, the documentation of creation stories in the Yirrkala Church Panels helped kickstart the Aboriginal art movement. The Art Gallery of NSW's relationship with Yirrkala's Aboriginal-owned art centre, now known as the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, stretches back decades. While the exhibition has been developed over several years, it's the first major curated show under recently appointed director Maud Page. "Art from Yirrkala has really had an explosion internationally, and about time," she said. Page said AGNSW was the first institutional gallery in Australia to display work from the centre as art, rather than cultural objects. Yolŋu Power has been installed in the gallery's new Naala Badu building, the same space that has housed blockbuster shows by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Chinese artist Cao Fei. The Yolŋu Power exhibition is structured around significant developments in art from the region, from bark painting to printmaking, digital installations, and sculptures of discarded metal. The show opens with a video projection showing daily life in Yirrkala, followed by an installation of dozens of towering carvings of Moku spirits. Rooms of bark paintings show off traditional styles, while a display of prints demonstrates how the adoption of this medium gave rise to the use of brilliant colours and everyday, rather than sacred, subjects. Then there's digital art: a room of animated projections that dance across the floor of the gallery and over the shape of a termite mound, accompanied by music. The exhibition runs until October 6. AAP travelled with the assistance of the Art Gallery of NSW.
Sydney Morning Herald
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Like nothing you have seen before': Meet the artists entrancing New York
Yolŋu Power: The Art of Yirrkala brings together almost 300 works created over eight decades in a collaboration between AGNSW and one of Australia's leading Aboriginal art centres – presented in the same gallery as the blockbuster exhibitions of international artists Louise Bourgeois and Cao Fei. Gallery curator Cara Pinchbeck is reluctant to call it a retrospective. Instead, the exhibition has been organised around significant moments in Yirrkala's history when artists have consciously altered their practice, developed new styles or embraced new mediums. Featured are the works of at least four generations, and multiple families who anchor artist and community led practice at Yirrkala, including the father and sisters of Yothu Yindi's late frontman, Mandawuy Yunupingu, and artists currently entrancing the international art world: Gunybi Ganambarr and Dhambit Munuŋgurr. Artists from the Yirrkala region have repeatedly utilised art for the purposes of political activism, the most famous example being the Ṉäku Dhäruk or Bark Petitions in 1963, in which 12 clansmen petitioned the Australian Parliament to recognise the Yolŋu's undying connection to Country and protest its decision to excise 300 square kilometres of Arnhem Land for bauxite mining. Described as the Magna Carta for Australia's Indigenous people, these petitions are credited with kick-starting the Indigenous land rights movement. Loading Painted in ochre, charcoal and pipeclay on petition borders are sacred designs or 'miny'tji', important patterns denoting the interconnection between Yolŋu people, law and Country, Pinchbeck says. 'Our power comes from the land which is alive,' says artist Yinimala Gumana when asked to explain why Yirrkala has become such a hotbed of creativity. 'We are its voice. It is our duty. Everyone, every human is an artist. In our culture we are required to express our identity be it through art, song, dance, ceremony or maintaining culture.' In fact, the Yolŋu regard anthropologists' use of the term Dreamtime as incorrect, puzzling, even annoying. A more accurate description of the circular structure of time is 'everywhen'. For Gumana, the right to paint was handed down from the men of his clan when he was a boy of 14. During the 1950s, Nyapililŋu and Galuma Maymuru were among the first women to be instructed in painting miny'tji. Loading 'When the land rights movement is gaining momentum, the style of painting focuses on detailed paintings of country and schools of painters emerge within families,' Pinchbeck says. 'In the 1990s there is an explosion of printmaking and women become central to the print studio, and then men generally join in. 'For some of the women who haven't been instructed in painting of clan designs by their fathers there's almost a hesitancy to paint those designs so printmaking introduces themselves to their own forms of self-expression.' The departure from ancestral templates has in recent times led to more innovative use of reclaimed materials and metal by senior artist Ganambarr. Also represented is the audiovisual work by the centre's Mulka Project, including a 'live termite mound' and a multimedia light and sound installation in the 125-column The Tank gallery.
The Age
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
‘Like nothing you have seen before': Meet the artists entrancing New York
Yolŋu Power: The Art of Yirrkala brings together almost 300 works created over eight decades in a collaboration between AGNSW and one of Australia's leading Aboriginal art centres – presented in the same gallery as the blockbuster exhibitions of international artists Louise Bourgeois and Cao Fei. Gallery curator Cara Pinchbeck is reluctant to call it a retrospective. Instead, the exhibition has been organised around significant moments in Yirrkala's history when artists have consciously altered their practice, developed new styles or embraced new mediums. Featured are the works of at least four generations, and multiple families who anchor artist and community led practice at Yirrkala, including the father and sisters of Yothu Yindi's late frontman, Mandawuy Yunupingu, and artists currently entrancing the international art world: Gunybi Ganambarr and Dhambit Munuŋgurr. Artists from the Yirrkala region have repeatedly utilised art for the purposes of political activism, the most famous example being the Ṉäku Dhäruk or Bark Petitions in 1963, in which 12 clansmen petitioned the Australian Parliament to recognise the Yolŋu's undying connection to Country and protest its decision to excise 300 square kilometres of Arnhem Land for bauxite mining. Described as the Magna Carta for Australia's Indigenous people, these petitions are credited with kick-starting the Indigenous land rights movement. Loading Painted in ochre, charcoal and pipeclay on petition borders are sacred designs or 'miny'tji', important patterns denoting the interconnection between Yolŋu people, law and Country, Pinchbeck says. 'Our power comes from the land which is alive,' says artist Yinimala Gumana when asked to explain why Yirrkala has become such a hotbed of creativity. 'We are its voice. It is our duty. Everyone, every human is an artist. In our culture we are required to express our identity be it through art, song, dance, ceremony or maintaining culture.' In fact, the Yolŋu regard anthropologists' use of the term Dreamtime as incorrect, puzzling, even annoying. A more accurate description of the circular structure of time is 'everywhen'. For Gumana, the right to paint was handed down from the men of his clan when he was a boy of 14. During the 1950s, Nyapililŋu and Galuma Maymuru were among the first women to be instructed in painting miny'tji. Loading 'When the land rights movement is gaining momentum, the style of painting focuses on detailed paintings of country and schools of painters emerge within families,' Pinchbeck says. 'In the 1990s there is an explosion of printmaking and women become central to the print studio, and then men generally join in. 'For some of the women who haven't been instructed in painting of clan designs by their fathers there's almost a hesitancy to paint those designs so printmaking introduces themselves to their own forms of self-expression.' The departure from ancestral templates has in recent times led to more innovative use of reclaimed materials and metal by senior artist Ganambarr. Also represented is the audiovisual work by the centre's Mulka Project, including a 'live termite mound' and a multimedia light and sound installation in the 125-column The Tank gallery.
