Anniebell Marrngamarrnga facts for kids

Anniebell Marrngamarrnga is an Aboriginal Australian artist from Maningrida in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is famous for making big, detailed sculptures out of plant fibres.

About Anniebell Marrngamarrnga

Anniebell Marrngamarrnga was born in Maningrida, Australia, on December 31, 1967. She belongs to the Kuninjku language group. This group is part of the Darnkolo clan.

She learned how to weave from her mother, Nancy Djulumba. Her mother passed away in 1995. Anniebell first made things like coiled baskets and string bags. Later, her husband, Dick Nadjolorro, taught her how to paint.

How Fibre Sculpture Started

In the early 2000s, a new type of art began. This was fibre sculpture among Kuninjku women. Marina Murdilnga was a leader in this art. She learned weaving from her mother. Then, she created flat fibre sculptures. She used a special knotting technique.

Marina's art was very popular. It inspired other Kuninjku women. Anniebell Marrngamarrnga was one of them. She started trying out fibre sculptures in the early 2000s.

The Yawkyawk Spirit

Anniebell's favorite subject to sculpt is the yawkyawk. These are female spirits. They live in the water. You can find them in freshwater streams and pools. These places are in Western Arnhem Land.

Yawkyawk spirits are shown as half-woman and half-fish. They have long hair and a fish-like tail. Many people compare them to mermaids. The yawkyawk in Anniebell's art lives in a waterhole. This place is called Kubumi. It is near the Mann River. This special story belongs to her husband's family.

Making the Sculptures

Anniebell starts by making a bamboo frame. She shapes it like the yawkyawk spirit. Then, she weaves plant fibres onto this frame. The main fibre used is from the pandanus plant (Pandanus spiralis).

Women do the hard work of collecting and preparing the fibres. After the rainy season, they gather new leaves. These leaves come from the top of the pandanus tree. They also collect plants, berries, and tree barks. These are used to make natural dyes.

The pandanus strips are soaked in warm dye. This can take hours or even days. Then, they are hung in the sun to dry. This whole process takes several days. It needs a lot of patience and skill.

Anniebell Marrngamarrnga still lives and works in Maningrida. She is with her husband, Dick Nadjolorro. She keeps making her yawkyawk fibre sculptures. She is known as a very talented artist. Her work is recognized locally and around the world.

Anniebell's Art Career

Anniebell Marrngamarrnga's art has made fibre sculpture even more amazing. She uses bright colors in her yawkyawk sculptures. Her artworks are very large and detailed.

Her art is part of many collections. It has been shown in many art shows. These shows are both in Australia and other countries.

Art Shows

Solo Shows

• 2009- Anniebell Marrngamarrnga & Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Michael Reid at Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, NSW
• 2008- Anniebell Marrngamarrnga, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
• 2007- Anniebell Marrngamarrnga, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC

Group Shows

• 2020- RESILIENCE: The power of the past today - Maningrida, Aboriginal Signature Estrangin Fine Art, Brussels, Belgium
• 2020- Kun-waral Spirit Shadows, Salon Project Space, Darwin
• 2018- Mardayin, Art Kelch, Freiburg, Germany
• 2018- Djang in Fibre: From Bim to Form, Aboriginal & Pacific Art Gallery, Waterloo, NSW
• 2018- Barring-bul (Many Walks), Trinity Gallery, University of Melbourne
• 2017- 34th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Arts Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
• 2017- Into the Water curated by Maningrida Arts & Culture, Tactile Arts, Darwin, NT
• 2016- Whos Afraid of Colour?, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
• 2014- Mayh, Body & Spirit in Kunwinjku Fibre Art, Aboriginal & Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2012- Maningrida – contemporary work from arnhem land, Gallery Ecosse, Sydney, NSW
• 2012- Dream Catchers, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
• 2011- The Dreaming Changes Shape, Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, Australia
• 2011- Lovelace, Powerhouse, Sydney, Australia
• 2010- Best of Maningrida, Annandale Galleries, Sydney, Australia
• 2009- Beautiful Beasts, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
• 2009- Maningrida Group Show, Maningrida Arts & Culture Gallery, Darwin, NT
• 2009- Orche - A Study in Materiality, Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA
• 2009- Survey from Maningrida Arts & Culture, The Mossenson Gallery, Perth, WA
• 2009- Togart Contemporary Art Award, The Toga Group, NT
• 2009- Pandanus Spiralis, Aboriginal & Pacific Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2008- Lost & Found, Tarrawarra Biennial
• 2008- Womens show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
• 2008- Palya Art at Mary Place, Mary Place, Sydney, NSW
• 2008- Interwoven, Indigenart, Perth, WA
• 2008- Melbourne Art Fair, Art Fair, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne
• 2007- Culture Warriors, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
• 2007- Selected new works from Maningrida, Maningrida Arts & Culture, Darwin
• 2007- 24th Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
• 2007- Womens show, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
• 2006- 23rd Telstra National & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Exhibition, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
• 2003- Weave, Federation Centre for the Arts, Bundoora Homestead, VIC

Art Collections

Anniebell Marrngamarrnga's work is held in important art collections, including:

• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
• Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
• The Toga Group Collection, Australia
• Aimee Proost Private Collection, Queensland, Australia
• Axel Arnott Collection
• Charles Darwin University Art Collection, Darwin, Australia