Malaluba Gumana facts for kids
Malaluba Gumana (born in 1953) is an amazing Australian Aboriginal artist from a place called northeast Arnhem Land. She is well-known for her beautiful paintings and for making special memorial poles called larrakitj. These poles were traditionally used by the Yolngu people in important ceremonies after someone passed away.
Her artwork is so important that it is kept in major art galleries like the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She has also won several awards for her bark painting and her three-dimensional artworks at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA). Her work is even part of the famous Kerry Stokes Larrakitj Collection, which has been shown in big exhibitions like the Sydney Biennale.
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About Malaluba Gumana
Malaluba Gumana was born in 1953. She grew up in a place called Gangan homeland, which is in the Blue Mud Bay area of northeast Arnhem Land. She works with the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre in Yirrkala. This is an art center run by Indigenous people in northeast Arnhem Land.
Her paintings are very detailed and flow beautifully. They often tell the story of the powerful Rainbow Serpent, also known as wititj (which is an olive python). This story describes the serpent's journey through her mother's Gålpu clan lands. She mainly uses designs from her Gålpu clan. These designs show things like dhatam (water lily), djari (rainbow), djayku (file snake), and wititj (olive python). She uses a special painting method called marwat, which is a type of cross-hatching done with a very fine brush made from human hair. It's important to know that these clan designs are like family treasures. Only people who have the right to use certain designs are allowed to paint them.
Malaluba Gumana is also famous for making larrakitj. The Yolngu people used these hollow poles in their traditional ceremonies to honor those who had passed away. The larrakitj are made from stringy bark trees. These trees are naturally hollowed out by termites. After the dry season fires, the trees are carefully chosen and collected. Then, they are smoothed and shaped. Finally, they are painted with natural colors called ochres. Each larrakitj has special designs that belong to a specific clan.
Her Artistic Journey
Starting in 2006, Malaluba Gumana began to create bigger and more detailed artworks. Her art center encouraged her to do this. In 2007, her work was shown at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in Darwin.
In 2008, all her bark paintings and hollow logs were sold at an exhibition in Melbourne. Also, her dhatam (water lily) designs were chosen for T-shirts and other promotional items for the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures. By 2009, her larrakitj poles became part of the important Kerry Stokes Larrakitj Collection. This collection was shown at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth. It also earned a spot in the 17th Sydney Biennale at the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2010.
Malaluba Gumana continued to receive recognition. In 2013, she won a NATSIAA award for her Bark Painting. Then, in 2019, she won another NATSIAA award, the Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award, for her amazing three-dimensional artwork.
Her art is now part of the permanent collections at the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Her work is also in the Kerry Stokes Larrakitj Collection and in private art collections, including those of Woodside Energy Ltd and the Estate of Kerry Packer.
Where to See Her Work
Exhibitions
- 2007 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Northern Territory
- 2008 Garrimala - Bark Paintings and Memorial Poles, Niagara Galleries, Richmond, Victoria
- 2009 Larrakitj - the Kerry Stokes Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia
- 2010 17th Biennale of Sydney, Larrakitj - the Kerry Stokes Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, New South Wales
- 2013 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Northern Territory (won award for Bark Painting)
- 2019 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Northern Territory (won Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award)
Collections
You can find her art in these collections:
- National Gallery of Australia
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Larrakitj Collection of Kerry Stokes
- Estate of Kerry Packer
- Woodside Energy Ltd. Art Collection
- Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia
- San Antonio Museum of Art
Awards
- Her Dhatam imagery was used for the Garma 2008 T-shirt and promotional materials.
- Telstra Bark Painting Award, NATSIAA, 2013
- Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award, NATSIAA, 2019
