dhukumul-wanambi
Homeland: Gurka’wuy
Clan: Marrakulu
Moiety: Dhuwa
Dhukumul Waṉambi is the youngest daughter of the late Wukuṉ Waṉambi, esteemed artist and Cultural Director of The Mulka Project. Dhukumul has demonstrated exceptional academic and professional achievements. Graduating with distinction from Yirrkala Bilingual School in 2021, she was admitted to Charles Darwin University to study law. Before starting her university education, Dhukumul worked as a linguist at The Mulka Project, where she co-authored an analytical essay on the Gurruṯu system (Yolŋu kinship), written in both English and Yolŋu Matha. This essay was included in the acclaimed publication Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala to accompany the touring Maḏayin exhibition in the USA. Following her father’s unexpected passing in May 2022, Dhukumul chose to defer her law studies for the rest of the year and spend time with her family in Yirrkala. During the period of mourning and preparation for her father’s funeral, Dhukumul resumed her role at The Mulka Project, transitioning to the digital production team where she contributed to filming and editing community ceremonies and events. Following her father’s funeral in October 2022, Dhukumul chose to continue her work at The Mulka Project, aspiring to honour her father’s legacy. In 2023, she played a key role in a significant project, Rarrirarri (Spirits), a tribute to the late master artist Mrs. Mulkuṉ Wirrpanda. This project involved animating and adding sound to Wirrpanda’s designs, culminating in a digital artwork that was a central feature of the ‘Shadow Spirit’ exhibition at the Rising Festival in Melbourne. Displayed in the Flinders Street Station ballroom, the installation centred around a 3-meter-tall fibreglass termite mound, with the artwork projected onto and around it, creating an immersive experience that demanded collaboration from the entire Mulka team. As an Animator’s Assistant, Dhukumul honed her skills and was inspired to begin her solo digital artwork, incorporating her clan’s saltwater designs inherited from her father. In January 2024, Dhukumul traveled to the USA to attend the Maḏayin exhibition at the Fralin Museum in Charlottesville, Virginia, a touring showcase curated by her father before his passing. This visit was particularly meaningful for her, providing an opportunity to witness and contribute to the legacy of her father’s work. She also delivered a lecture on her father’s art at the exhibition’s launch. Her involvement continued as she supported the University of Virginia in preparing for the exhibition’s next display in New York, furthering her engagement with her father’s artistic heritage. Dhukumul was a finalist in the 2024 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards for her digital artwork, Gurka’wuy which represents a rock formation in the bay of her homeland. She received a Highly Commended award for this artwork.
