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Artist Biography

Artists of Ramingining -

Namiyal Bopirri

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Aboriginal artist, Namiyal Bopirri was born in 1929 at Djilinginimir in north-eastern Arnhem Land. She is of the Galwanuk-Liyagalawumirr people and was brought up in the Yolngu (traditional Aboriginal) ways.

Namiyal learned weaving from her mother and is now recognised as one of the finest weavers of Ramingining, known for her definite, firm style and use of strong colours and shapely form.

She began painting in the late 1980’s when her late husband, Tony Djikululu, taught her bark painting. She often collaborated with her husband on bark paintings intended for the public domain. While the collaboration of artists in particular, ritual relationships and belonging to opposite moieties is a common feature of the production of art in ritual circumstances, it is rare for a husband and wife to work together.

Many of Namiyal's images come from the Wagilag Sisters creation story, one of the most important creation myths of this region: her itchy caterpillars, bush foods and snakes are all elements of this story. Her country, Guruwana, is often painted in the minimalist sacred rocks design. Other favourite subjects include Wayanaka, oyster beds, which are features of her rocky salt-water country east of Ramingining on the mainland side of Huchinson Strait.

Most of Namiyals works are painted on bark, however during the dry months, when bark collection is impossible, Namiyal will rummage for plyboard off-cuts from buildings and use these to paint on.

From 1990 she began showing in major exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Her works have been purchased by the Australian National Gallery, Canberra and the Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide and she is also represented in the John Kluge Collection, an important collection of Aboriginal art at the University of Virginia in Charlottsville, USA.


subjects and themes

Wagilag Sisters creation story, itchy caterpillar, animals, artists country Guruwana, Wayanaka (oyster and oyster beds), sacred rocks, fish trap story.


collections

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.

Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, Queensland.

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane.

Kluge Ruhe Collection, Charlottesville, Virginia USA.

Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Ramingining Collection, Sydney.

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

University of Sydney Students Union, Sydney.


exhibitions

Individual exhibitions

1993 Namiyal Bopirri, Australian Girls Own Gallery, Australian Girls Own Gallery, Kingston, Canberra, ACT.


Group exhibitions

1984 Buyu-Ramingining Weaving, Crafts Council, NT.

1989 Ramingining, Gamununggu Miyalk, women painters, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.

1991 Aboriginal Women’s Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

1993 Yananda New Moon, Ivan Doherty Gallery, Sydney.

1993 Namiyal Bopirri, Naminapu White, Australian Girls Own Gallery, Canberra, ACT.

1994 Buyu Djama, Pandanus Weaving from Arnhem Land, Adelaide Fringe Festival, National Trust of South Australia.

1994 Canvassing, 24 Hour Art, Darwin, NT.

1994 Australian Heritage Commission National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Old Parliament House, Canberra.

1994 Ramingining Weaving, Christine Abrahams Gallery, Richmond, Victoria.

1994 Power of the Land, Masterpieces of Aboriginal Art, National Gallery of Victoria.

1996 Abstraction: Signs, Marks & Symbols National Gallery of Vic. Melbourne.

1997 Wawilag Sisters Story, Australian National Gallery, Canberra.

1997 Ramingining Print Suite.

2000 Yolngu Science MCA Sydney.


bibliography

Art from the Land: Dialogues with the Kluge-Ruhe Collection of Australian Art University of Virginia USA 1999.

Bulabula Arts, 1993, Namiyal Bopirri, exhib. cat. for solo AGOG exhibition.

The Native Born: Objects and Representations from Ramingining Arnhem Land ed. by Bernice Murphy MCA in association with Bula Bula Arts, Ramingining 2000.

Caruana C & Lendon N, Painters of the Wawilag Sisters Story 1937-77 National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Hanby, L., 1993, ‘Buyu Djama,’ Periphery 17, 22-23. (C)

1991, Aboriginal Women’s Exhibition, exhib. cat., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

1994, Buyu Djama, Pandanus Weaving from Arnhem Land, exhib. cat. (reprint), Adelaide.

Aboriginal Art Prints Home



region
Central Arnhem Land

state
NT

community
Ramingining

born
1927

language bloc
Dhuwal, Yolngu

language
Liyagalawumirri

outstation
Guruwana

art centre
Bula Bula Arts

medium
Bark painting, ochres on bark, ochres on ply board. Fibre work, weaving, limited edition prints


DENNIS NONA CURRENT SOLO EXHIBITION


Sesserae: New Works by Dennis Nona

Dennis Nona's Sesserae

Paris, London, Sydney, Brisbane

Dennis Nona is widely acknowledged as one of, if not the most, important living Torres Strait Islander artist.

This exhibition of installations, limited edition linocuts, etchings and cast bronze sculptures showcases the artist's most recent work.

PARIS
The Australian Embassy
6 April - 8 June, 2006

LONDON
Rebecca Hossack Gallery
35 Windmill Street,
LONDON (Dates TBA)

SYDNEY
31 Lamrock Avenue
BONDI BEACH, NSW
30 March - 16 April, 2006

BRISBANE
Dell Gallery, Queensland College of Art
BRISBANE, QLD
3 June - 10 July 2005

OTHER EXHIBITION VENUES
Other Australian and overseas venues and dates to be announced.
Dennis Nona's Bronze Dugong

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© AIATSIS & ATSIC from the Biographical database of Australian indigenous visual artists published by Discovery Media.