The inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial opened on the 13th of October at the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra) in the presence of many artists and a huge crowd of over 2000 people. ˜Culture Warriors’ curated by Brenda Croft presents the work of thirty artists from each state and territory, demonstrating the incredible range of contemporary Indigenous art practice.
Maningrida Arts and Culture is proud to have three artists represented in ˜ Culture Warriors’. They are:
Anniebell Marrngamarrnga with intricate woven yawkyawks and a crocodile,
John Mawurndjul with bark paintings and hollow logs and
Owen Yalandja with superb carved yawkyawk spirit figures.
John Mawurndjul’s work is presented in the first room with the ˜big guns’, a core group of dedicated and significant artists deserving singular focus. Chosen by Croft for their contribution to Aboriginal art over the last forty years, the ˜big guns’ are feted through major installations of their work and through essays in the accompanying exhibition catalogue. With an installation of three bark paintings and three hollow logs, Mawurndjul is making a strong statement about his country and the importance of sacred sites such as Milmilngkan and Dilebang.
Owen Yalandja and Anniebell Marrngamarrnga have their works in the third room of the exhibition, taking over a whole long wall of the gallery space. Their stunning yawkyawk spirit figures are floating off the wall. The display is just fantastic and many visitors at the opening were amazed by the quality and beauty of the works. Owen Yalandja attended the opening and was congratulated by art critics, curators, collectors and art lovers.
All three Maningrida artists will have works on display in upcoming Maningrida shows. Owen Yalandja and John Mawurndjul will have a few works at Annandale Galleries (Sydney) in November 2007 in the exhibition ˜Spirit and Variation’. John Mawurndjul will have also have a strong body of new works at Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi (Melbourne) in November-December while Anniebell Marrngamarrnga is working for her next show at William Mora Galleries (Melbourne) for 2008.
