Djirrirra Wunuŋmurra Yukuwa

From Thursday 26th September Michael Reid Sydney will present an exhibition of new work by Djirrirra Yukuwa Wunuŋmurra, whose intricately composed works of art are emblematic of the storytelling, ecology and materiality of Yolŋu artists from the Yirrkala Community in East Arnhem Land.

On view and available to acquire will be new paintings on bark, board and Larrakitj that coalesce to form a complex portrait of the artist. Djirrirra Wunuŋmurra is a Dhalwaŋu artist from Gäṉgan, situated just outside of Yirrkala.

Through Wunuŋmurra’s work we see the uncommon meeting of two distinct stylistic approaches, ones that illustrate important Dhalwaŋu narratives relating to the yam and the fish trap. The artist’s delicately carved bark paintings tell us of the ancestral cycles of fish trap ceremonies and their spiritual, social and educational importance. Diamond designs that flourish across the diverse surfaces that the artist employs are, according to Djirrirra, depictions of the waters surrounding her homeland that symbolise fish traps located in fresh waters. Also prevalent in Wunuŋmurra’s work is the depiction of of the Yakuwa (yam) motif, one that speaks directly to the artist’s own identity.

Djirrirra Yukuwa Wunuŋmurra’s up-coming solo exhibition follows milestone presentations at Sydney Contemporary 2024 in addition to a major presentation in Miwatj Yolŋu held at Bundanon earlier this year.