dindirrk-munungurr
Homeland: Waṉḏawuy
Clan: Djapu
Moiety: Dhuwa
As told by the artist:
‘When I was a little girl I grew up at Numbulwar (Roper River) with my Mum and Dad,we stayed there for a long time until my other sister was born,her name is Betsy Munuŋgurr. Then we came back to Yirrkala and I went to school here. Then after that we moved to Waṉḏawuy and I attended school up there, until I was 16 yr’s old. I learnt art by watching my grandfather, my mother, my father and my aunty Marrnyula Munuŋgurr, that’s how I wanted to become an artist.
I like doing art because it’s good for me to learn more of art than being at home without anything to do. So art is my priority in my life. This was the first step for me to print a reduction print. In 2007 I started working at Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka with my mukul (aunt) Marrnyula Munuŋgurr where I started to work in the print space. I have learnt screenpring, woodblocking.
Now I’m working in the multi media Mulka centre at Buku-Larrŋgay where I have learnt about making short films. Filming, editing, sound. The first workshop we produced three films. I filmed one about the healing centre at Gulkula (the Garma site) at Yirrkala. The old ladies use bush medicine to heal.
I traveled to Sydney with Marrnyula Munuŋgurr for her exhibition opening at Annandale Galleries. This was my first trip to Sydney. I visited the Saltwater bark paintings at the Maritime Museum and helped guide Gough Whitlam through the collection. In 2007 I went to Perth to visit the Berndt Museum to look at the works from the old people, especially the crayon drawings from NE Arnhem Land.
In Dec 2007 I began teaching the new students about film making during a 3 week workshop. We produced four movies which now show at our Centre. I am now also trained in Etching printing for the print space. In 2008 I traveled to the Berndt Museum in Perth to view the crayon drawings that were collected by Ronald Berndt in the late 1946. I saw my gathur’s (great grandfather) work, Woŋgu Munuŋgurr. This inspired me for my etching. We are working on these etchings where the artists look at these old crayon drawings. This has been a great workshop and will hang at the Garma festival and also Darwin festival 2008.’
