Djambawa Marawili facts for kids

Djambawa Marawili (born in 1953) is an Aboriginal Australian artist. He is famous for his bark paintings, wood sculptures, and printmaking. He is also a musician and released an album in 2008.

Djambawa Marawili is a senior leader of the Madarrpa clan. He uses his art to share important stories and laws of his people. He also works to connect Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

About Djambawa Marawili

Marawili was born in 1953 in Baniyala, also known as Yilpara. This place is in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. His father was Wakuthi Marawili. The artist Mulkun Wirrpanda is his mother through kinship, which is a special family connection in Aboriginal culture.

Before his father passed away, he chose the name Djambawa for him. This powerful name means "the source of the fire on the rock in the sea." His father also taught him how to sing and told him to always remember his land and culture.

Djambawa Marawili's mother by kinship, Mulkun Wirrpanda, is also a respected artist. She is known for her deep knowledge of the Dhuji-Djapu clan. She paints on bark, memorial poles, and didgeridoos. She also carves, weaves, and makes prints.

Marawili is married to Liawaday Wirrpanda, who is also an artist. They live in Blue Mud Bay with their children. Djambawa Marawili is a senior leader in the Madarrpa clan of the Yolngu people. He helps lead important ceremonies and looks after the spiritual well-being of his community. He knows the language, designs, and stories of his own clan and other clans too.

Marawili acts as a bridge between the Yolngu people and non-Aboriginal people. He helps everyone understand more about Aboriginal culture. In the early 2000s, he helped bring life back to his homeland, Bäniyala. He worked with elders and leaders to find ways for his community to grow. He believes that culture and the economy should support each other.

For the Yolngu Indigenous people, he is like a very important leader, similar to a high-ranking official. He uses his knowledge of Yolngu law and culture to guide his people in many ways.

The Madarrpa Clan

The Madarrpa clan belongs to the Yirritja group. This clan is connected to the Gumatj and Munyuku clans through Bäru, the ancestral crocodile. According to some Aboriginal beliefs, Bäru connected the clans when he first created fire across the water.

Djambawa Marawili is a senior leader in the Madarrpa clan. He is very involved in their ceremonies. Besides Bäru, Mundukul (Burrut'ji), the ancestral lightning snake, is another important symbol in their ceremonies. An oval-shaped sand structure called yinyapunapu is also seen in Madarrpa ceremonies.

As a Madarrpa elder, Djambawa has the right to paint the sacred designs of his clan. This special connection allows him to paint stories from his daughter's clan. This helps keep ancient knowledge alive and passes it down through generations. Djambawa Marawili's father, Wakuthi Marawili, changed his son's name to Djambawa only when he was sure his son had the wisdom for such an important name.

Djambawa Marawili's Art Career

Marawili started painting in the early 1980s. He brought a new idea called buwuyak, which means "faintness" or "emergence," into Yolngu art. Even though he is an innovative artist, he often uses traditional materials. These include natural ochre, which is a natural pigment, and a paintbrush made from hair tied to a stick.

His artworks often show the Yathikpa ancestral story. This story is about a bay where Bäru, the crocodile, changed from a human to an animal. He plunged into the water in a blaze of flames. Marawili also paints stories about Burrit'tji, the rainbow lightning serpent.

The exhibition Source of Fire (2003–2005) was a big moment in Marawili’s career. His works in this show explored fire as a real and symbolic part of Madarrpa law. Through bark paintings and sculptures, Marawili showed the ancestral moment when Bäru carried fire across the sea. This act set up both physical and legal boundaries for his clan.

Marawili loves painting the designs and patterns of his land. His father taught him these patterns, which are passed down through families. They represent the land and the places where these stories come from. He paints the places that the Yolngu people know well.

Marawili is one of the most important artists from the Yolngu community. His works combine new ideas with old traditions. Because his paintings show traditional and historical meanings, they are also used as historical records. They were especially important in the legal fight to protect the Yolngu land rights. Marawili’s bark paintings, with their sacred clan designs (miny’tji), were used as evidence in the Blue Mud Bay sea rights case. His paintings helped show that the Yolngu people had a long-standing, legal connection to the coastal waters.

His paintings, which show sacred traditional designs, prove the right to speak for and protect their sea and land. This was very important in the Saltwater: Yirrkala Bark Paintings of Sea Country exhibition. This exhibition played a big part in the Blue Mud Bay sea rights case. Marawili helped bring this sea rights claim to the Federal Court in 2004.

Djambawa Marawili has said that Yolngu art shows their true spirit and intelligence. He explains that his bark artworks have deep cultural and political meanings. He was happy that Americans recognized the ancient Yolngu culture and symbols in his art. He also liked how Yolngu art helps pass down traditional knowledge to other countries.

Marawili's painting style respects traditional bark painting. But he also uses new methods that make his works feel like they are flowing. He uses the diamond pattern, which is traditional to the Yirritja group, in almost all his works. He arranges the diamonds to create a flowing feeling and tell a story.

One of Marawili’s most famous works is Yathikpa. This bark painting shows the ancestral fire at a sacred Madarrpa site. The painting shows Bäru, the ancestral crocodile, plunging into the water and setting it on fire with a sacred flame. The painting is full of diamond-shaped designs that stand for fire, water, and law. It shows the moment when land, sea, and spirit meet. Yathikpa is seen as both a ceremonial object and a statement of Indigenous authority over sea areas. It has been shown in many important exhibitions of Yolngu art.

Marawili has also helped bring back larrakitj (memorial poles). He has shown them as both ceremonial objects and modern sculptures. His poles were part of an international exhibition called The Inside World. They showed how Yolngu ceremonial practices can be adapted into new art forms.

Artistic Philosophy

Marawili says his art is a way to show Yolngu law, identity, and ownership. His paintings are acts of legal and cultural authority. This is especially true when they show designs linked to clan land and sea. He explains that "the land has grown a tongue." This means his paintings give a voice to ancient laws and show the spiritual identity of a place.

Activism

Marawili cares deeply about the rights of his people and their land. He believes it is important for him to speak up because the land and sea cannot talk, but he can. His father told him he was happy that Djambawa had knowledge of both his own culture and the Western world. This knowledge helps him connect the two worlds. Marawili also believes that the government should not tell him what to do. He thinks they can learn from him, just as he can learn from them.

His art is closely linked to his activism. The patterns he paints are connected to the land and sea. This was shown in the Saltwater: Yirrkala Paintings of Sea Country exhibition. This show featured eighty works by Yolngu artists. They painted their ancestral clan designs because of failed legal cases and harmful actions against Blue Mud Bay by people fishing illegally.

The show started after an event in October 1996. Wäka Munungurr found an illegal fishing camp with a crocodile that had been killed. This happened in a very important Madarrpa area. Wäka Munungurr told Djambawa Marawili, who decided to show his anger by painting the sacred clan designs of the area. He also encouraged other elders and artists to do the same. Djambawa Marawili led this effort and continued to create artworks to show Yolngu rights to the sea.

The land has everything it needs. But it couldn’t speak. It couldn’t express itself. Tell its identity. And so it grew a tongue. That is the Yolngu. That is me. We are the tongue of the land. Grown by the land so it can sing who it is. We exist so we can paint the land. That’s our job. Paint and sing and dance. So it can feel good to express its true identity. Without us it cannot talk. But it is still there. Only silent. — Djambawa Marawili AM

In 1997, Djambawa Marawili found an illegal poacher's camp on his land. There was a crocodile that had been killed. This happened in the heart of the Madarrpa's sacred territory, which is believed to be the nesting site of their sacred crocodile totem, Baru. Because of this, forty-seven Yolngu artists from fifteen clans came together. They shared their cultural wisdom and deep connection to the land and sea. They showed these connections through detailed patterns and designs called Miny'tji. This created a remarkable series of paintings known as the 'Saltwater Collection'.

His saltwater bark paintings were part of a campaign to teach people about the Yolngu people and their sacred land. The Yolngu people then started a court case to get recognition for their land. Marawili contributed his artwork to this collection and attended the federal court hearing in Canberra. The court did not rule in the Yolngu people's favor at first. However, they appealed the decision. In 2008, the Yolngu people gained legal ownership of the intertidal zone, which is the area between high and low tide marks.

A big problem in the area was the bauxite and manganese mines being built close to Aboriginal land. The large bauxite mine, Nhulunbuy, is only 100 meters from Lawnhapuy Homelands. This is about three hours from Blue Mud Bay, where Marawili lives. There are also manganese mines in Groote Eylandt, east of Blue Mud Bay. Marawili was very worried about this. He worried about the lack of jobs for the Yolngu people, less education, and more health problems. He wants his community to have better education so people can get jobs. He also wants a stronger economy for them. Marawili continues to work hard to help his community thrive.

Journey to America (Americalili Marrtji)

One of Djambawa Marawili's most famous artworks is his 2019 piece, Journey to America. He won first prize for this at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. This painting is on a very large piece of eucalyptus bark, measuring 270 x 100 cm. Like most of his other art, he uses natural ochres for color.

This piece was made for the 2017–19 Kluge–Ruhe Madayin Commission in Charlottesville, Virginia. It showed Djambawa's important role in creating the University's exhibition, where the water moves, where it rests. Djambawa Marawili has led the effort to connect Yolngu people and artists with the art world in the United States.

Marawili explained what Journey to America means to him: “It's really important to represent our clan groups and our tribes. Sharing the knowledge of this country. The art is still alive. The songs are still alive. The language is still alive. The connections are still alive. I reach out to other cities across the sea…I felt that I had to carry this. Even in my soul, even in my mind [I] have to carry this and reach out to the other world. It is really important for me I have to be really confident with my own patterns and designs. I think it is really written in my soul and it is written in my blood.” (Djambawa Marawili)

Marawili says his strong connection to the ancestors of the Madarrpa clan inspired him to share their culture with others. In Journey to America, Marawili combines Aboriginal culture and art with symbols from the European world, like the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is painted at the very top of the bark.

However, the main subject of the painting is Bäru, the ancestral crocodile. He covers most of the bark surface. On Bäru's back and throughout the painting, Djambawa Marawili shows the chained diamond design. This design is common in the art and culture of the Yirritja group. Bäru is known for creating fire and sending it across the water to different clans. Marawili's skill is shown by how he creates a feeling of movement in this flat artwork. In the bottom left corner of the painting is the Coat of Arms of Australia.

Residency

In October 2016, Djambawa Marawili was an artist-in-residence at the University of Virginia. Marawili was happy to see how popular Aboriginal art was in the United States. Charlottesville is a well-known place for Aboriginal Art in America. UVA Law students learned from his experience with the Blue Mud Bay sea rights case. During his time there, he worked with University of Virginia printmaking students to create new art. Two of Marawili's pieces are now permanently in the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection.

Djambawa Marawili's residency in Charlottesville was similar to when John Mawurndjul appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 2005. When John Mawurndjal was on Time magazine, he helped introduce Aboriginal and Arnhem Land art to the world. Djambawa's connection with the University of Virginia shows the link between Aboriginal Art and the European world.

Djambawa Marawili: "The Rock Of Fire"

Djambawa Marawili's art and work are featured in the documentary "The Rock of Fire." The film follows his life as he shows his famous art, especially bark paintings that get their meaning from ancestral culture. The documentary also shows Djambawa Marawili's activism for Yolngu land and sea rights. After legal battles like the Blue Mud Bay case, the film highlights his strong connection to both the Yolngu people and their land. The movie shows his life in a very positive way, showing his importance in both Aboriginal art and culture. His story is seen as an inspiration for Indigenous people worldwide, proving that people can and should stand up for their land and cultural rights.

Music

In 2008, Djambawa Marawili released an album called "Yilpara, The Mulka Manikay Archives". The album has 14 songs and is one hour and 19 minutes long. The songs are:

• Gapu Mungurru (Rough Waves)
• Dhupuntji (Log)
• Yirriwi (Dugong)
• Baru (Crocodile)
• Minyga (Garfish)
• Barrakbarrak (Dotterel)
• Makani (Queenfish)
• Walurngu (Frigate Bird)
• Djet (Sea Eagle)
• Lipalipa (Paddling)
• Bunburrkthun (Walking to the Shade)
• Gathiritj (Mangrove Bird)
• Nhinamarrtji (Sitting Under the Shade)
• Wangupini (Cloud Rising from the North)

Other Important Roles

Besides being an artist, Marawili has held many leadership roles to support and raise awareness for the Indigenous community. These roles include:

• Arnhem Northern and Kimberley Artists (ANKA) Chairperson (1998–present)
• Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Chairperson at Yirrkala (1994-2000, 2016-2018), board member (2001-2016)
• Laynhupuy Homelands Committee Chairperson (1995-1997, 2018)
• Northern Land Council Councillor (1995-1997)
• Nambara Homelands School Board Member
• Australia Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Board (2008-2009)
• YBE Enterprises Board Member
• Yipara-Laynhupuy Homelands CDEP supervisor
• Appointed member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council, in both its first (2013–2017) and second (2017–present) terms.

Recognition

Marawili has won many awards for his important paintings. He won the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) in 1996, and again in 2019 for Journey to America. Experts often say Marawili is a key figure among Aboriginal artists who came after land rights were recognized. He successfully combined traditional law with new ways to get involved in politics. Other roles and recognition for his work as an artist and community leader include:

• Australia Council, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Fellowship (2003)
• General Division of the Order of Australia (2010)
• Opened the Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide (2019)
• Lead curator for Madayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Bark Painting from Yirrkala, Australia. This exhibition was planned to tour North America starting in 2021. It is the first major collection of bark painting to tour outside Australia.

Collections

Marawili's work is displayed in many galleries and institutions, including:

• Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland
• Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia, USA
• President of India Art Collection
• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
• National Maritime Museum, Sydney
• Northern Territory Supreme Court, Darwin
• Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
• Holmes à Court Collection, Margaret River, WA
• Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

Marawili’s works are widely studied in the history of Aboriginal art. Scholars highlight how his use of ancestral design combines spiritual law with political expression. This helps strengthen Indigenous rights through modern art.

Important Exhibitions

• Saltwater: Yirrkala Bark Paintings of Sear Country (1999-2001)
• Buwayak-Invisibility in Annandale Galleries (2003)
• Source of Fire in Annandale Galleries (2005)
• Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in Queensland Art Gallery (2006-2007)
• One sun, one moon in Art Gallery of New South Wales (2007)
• Larrakitj (memorial poles) in Art Gallery of Western Australia (2009)
• Australia in Royal Academy of Arts (2013)
• Lorr in Art Gallery of New South Wales (2015)
• Where the Water Moves, Where it Rests at Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection (2015-2016)
• The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles, Nevada Museum of Art and touring (2019)