Wanurr Bob Namundja facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wanurr Bob Namundja
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| Born | c.1933 Jim Jim Creek, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Died | 2005 Gunbalanya, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Known for | Aboriginal art, bark painting |
| Spouse(s) | Dianne Ginjmulu |
| Children | Samson Namundja (son), Kaye Namundja (daughter) |
| Relatives | Don Nakadilinj Namundja (brother) |
Wanurr Bob Namundja (born around 1933, died 2005) was an Aboriginal Australian artist. He was famous for his beautiful paintings made on tree bark.
About Wanurr Bob Namundja
Wanurr Bob Namundja was born in 1933 in western Arnhem Land. This area is in the Northern Territory of Australia. He belonged to the Kardbam clan. He spoke the Kunwinjku language, which is part of the Bininj Kunwok language group.
In the 1960s, he lived at the Oenpelli Mission. This place is now called Gunbalanya. Later, in the 1970s, he spent time between Gunbalanya and a small community called Makorlod. This was part of a movement where people moved back to smaller, traditional communities.
By the mid-1980s, Wanurr returned to Gunbalanya. He lived there with his wife, Dianne, and their four children. He worked as a police tracker, helping police find people or follow tracks.
Wanurr also had a younger brother, Don Nakadilinj Namundja. Don also became a well-known artist.
Wanurr traveled a lot across Australia. He took part in important cultural ceremonies. He also kept strong connections with his large family. He was linked to the Yirritja moiety and Nawakadj subsection, which are parts of his cultural group. Besides being an artist and a family man, he also worked in law enforcement and as a stockman. A stockman looks after cattle.
His Art Career
In the 1960s, Wanurr started painting professionally. He was part of a group of artists at the Church Mission Society’s Oenpelli Mission. They were encouraged by a linguist named Peter Carroll. After the mission closed, Wanurr painted for Dorothy Bennett. Later, in 1989, the Injalak Arts Centre was started. He painted for them too.
Wanurr was a senior leader for an important ceremony called Kunabibi. He shared this role with another famous artist, Bardayal Nadjamerrek. This ceremony greatly influenced the art made in western Arnhem Land. It especially changed how Ngalyod (the Rainbow Serpent) was shown in paintings.
Ngalyod is linked to new life and the changing seasons, especially the wet season. Because of this, Ngalyod is often shown changing into plants and animals. These can include waterlilies and fish. Some artworks even show parts of several animals mixed into one being. Wanurr was one of the first artists to draw Ngalyod in a more modern way. His art showed that different groups of people could come together. It also shared the idea that all humans are connected. Wanurr used a more abstract style to show this new way of thinking among Kunwinjku artists.
Wanurr was part of a small group of artists from the southern clans of western Arnhem Land. Their painting style was greatly influenced by Bardayal "Lofty" Nadjamerrek. This group included artists like Dick Nguleingulei Murrumurru and Kalarriya "Jimmy" Namarnyilk. Wanurr's brother, Don Nakadilinj Namundja, was also in this group.
These artists often painted together. They used ideas from their rock art heritage. Their figures were usually clear and recognizable. They used a single, parallel-line infill technique called rarrk to decorate their figures. This was different from other artists who used more complex cross-hatching patterns.
Bob Namundja painted what he saw around him. He also painted things important to his culture. He learned the tradition of rock art from his father. His artworks showed plants and animals from Arnhem Land. He also painted ancient spirits and ancestors. He used natural pigments and eucalyptus bark for his art. He liked earthy red and yellow colors. These colors were traditional in Aboriginal art because they came from natural materials. He often used single, parallel lines in bands of these earthy red and yellow colors. Because of his Yirritja connection, his art also featured diamond shapes.
Art Collections
Wanurr Bob Namundja's artworks are held in important collections, including:
Important Exhibitions
Wanurr Bob Namundja's art has been shown in many exhibitions. Here are a few important ones:
- 1984-5: Kunwinjku Bim: Western Arnhem Land paintings from the Collection of the Aboriginal Arts Board. National Gallery of Victoria.
- 1998: Dreamings. Spazio Pitti Arte, Florence Italy.
- 2004: Crossing Country: The Alchemy of Western Arnhem Land Art. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
- 2005: Old Men's Stories: Senior Artists from Oenpelli. Indigenart, The Mossenson Galleries.
- 2005: The Art of Two Brothers. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
