Peter Marralwanga : Painter of the Djang of Western Arnhem Land.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Namirrkki, Ivan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marralwanga, Peter, approximately 1917-1987.

Painting, Aboriginal Australian.

Art, Aboriginal Australian.

Local Subjects:

Marralwanga, Peter, approximately 1917-1987.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (294 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Canberra : ANU Press, 2026.

Summary:

This richly illustrated book presents the life and artwork of an Aboriginal artist, Peter Marralwanga, a pivotal figure in the Western Arnhem Land painting tradition.

Contents:

Intro

List of plates

Plate 1: Kalkberd [Euro] at Miridjba Crossing, National Museum of Australia, 1974.

Plate 2: Birlmu [female Barramundi fish] at Namadkepdjiribameng, National Museum of Australia, 1974.

Plates 3-5: Three representations of Bolung (Rainbow Serpent), National Museum of Australia, 1974.

Plate 6: Bolung with dabuno (Rainbow Serpent with eggs), National Museum of Australia, 1974.

Plate 7: Rainbow Serpent of the Dreamtime, National Gallery of Victoria, 1975.

Plate 8: Mimi [Mimih] and Rainbow Serpent, National Museum of Scotland, 1980.

Plate 9: Ngalyod at Dilebang, Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, 1983.

Plate 10: Kangaroo Headed Rainbow Serpent, National Gallery of Australia, 1980.

Plate 11: Yingarna, the Original Creator Being, National Gallery of Australia, c. 1975.

Plate 12: Rainbow Serpent at Manabinbala, National Gallery of Australia, 1981.

Plate 13: Saltwater Crocodile, National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 14: Kinga at Marrkolidjban, Djomi Museum, Maningrida, 1980-81.

Plate 15: Two Wallabies, Barrk, MAGNT, 1979.

Plate 16: Kinga [Namanjwarre] and Kornobolo at Kurrarrme, Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, 1983.

Plate 17: Kandakidj, Antilopine Kangaroo, and Merlemerle, Butterflies, Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, 1983.

Plate 18: Kalkberd, the Euro, private collection, 1983.

Plate 19: Kalkberd, the Euro, private collection, 1983.

Plate 20: Peter Marralwanga, Yawkyawk, Oenpelli, Northern Territory, c. 1978.

Plate 21: Yawk Yawk (Yawkyawk), National Gallery of Australia, c. 1978.

Plate 22: Female Spirit (Yawkyawk), private collection, 1981.

Plate 23: Ivan Namirrkki, Yawkyawk, Djomi Museum, Maningrida, c. 1981.

Plate 24: Yawkyawk, National Museum of Australia, 1979.

Plate 25: Yawkyawk Spirit, National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 26: The Spirit Woman (Yawkyawk), National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 27: Ngalkunburriyaymi (Yawkyawk), National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 28: Ngalyod, the Rainbow Serpent Swallowing a Woman, National Gallery of Australia, c. 1980.

Plate 29: Ngalyod and Yawkyawk, Janet Holmes à Court Collection. Perth, 1983.

Plate 30: Yawkyawk (Namarrkon), Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, 1983.

Plate 31: Buluwana at Ngandarrayo, private collection, 1983.

Plate 32: Ngalkunburruyaymi [Ngalkunburriyaymi], Daughter of Yingarna, National Gallery of Australia, 1982.

Plate 33: Daluk, Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, 1983.

Plate 34: Kalkberd the Euro and Spirit Figures, National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 35: Ngurrurdu an Emu, National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 36: Three Spirit Figures (Wardbukkarra-Wardbukkarra), private collection, 1981.

Plate 37: Spirit Family (Namarodo/Namorrorddo), National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 38: Two Goannas (Kalawan), private collection, 1981.

Plate 39: Goanna (Kalawan with secret headdress), private collection, 1981.

Plate 40: Mandjabu and Nakorrkko Footprint, private collection, 1983.

Plate 41: Yawkyawk and her Daughter (Marlindji), Janet Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, 1983.

Plate 42: Wubarr Singers, National Gallery of Victoria, 1983.

Plate 43: Rainbow Serpent and Crabs (Kambuk), private collection, 1980.

Plate 44: Nawarlah the Brown River Stingray, private collection, c. 1980.

Plate 45: Kurlwirri Fan Palm at Yimayhyirud, Djomi Museum, Maningrida, c. 1980.

Plate 46: Wamba at Kundjabe, private collection, 1980.

Plate 47: Ngaldadmurrng (Saratoga), National Gallery of Australia, 1980-81.

Plate 48: The Big White Barramundi or Namarnkol the Barramundi, Art Gallery of South Australia, c. 1982.

Plate 49: Kubardbard, a Long-Tailed Saltwater Fish, private collection, 1983.

Plate 50: Dreaming Frog Spirit (Yibba), Art Gallery of South Australia, 1985.

List of figures

Figure 0.1: Peter Marralwanga, Bill Birriyabirriya, John Mawurndjul and John Dalngadalnga with the skull of a crocodile, Mumeka, 1982.

Figure 1.1: Location of Bininj Kunwok dialects and surrounding languages.

Figure 1.2: Clan lands and outstations.

Figure 1.3: David Milaybuma and Peter Marralwanga with Jimmy Birriyula, sitting behind with didjeridu, and children painted for dancing when filming for the 1982 launch of the Australian 27c stamp featuring David Milaybuma's bark painting of Mimih singers

Figure 2.1: Peter Marralwanga at Yelelban, 1983.

Figure 3.1: Ivan Namirrkki and son Davis with geese he shot on the Marrkolidjban floodplain, 2007.

Figure 3.2: Ivan Namirrkki, with Owen Yalandja and the linguist Murray Garde, giving a speech, in the Kuninjku dialect, at the celebratory dinner for the Water Spirits Creative Partnership and ASEAN-Australia Centre Launch, 2024.

Figure 3.3: Ivan Namirrkki lighting grass at Kurrehdjadja adjacent to the Liverpool River, 2008.

Figure 4.1: Luke Taylor with Peter Marralwanga, Don Nakidilinj (yellow t-shirt), and Marralwanga's sons (L-R), Arthur Kalarriya, Ivan Namirrkki (denim jacket), Conrad Kardildil (t-shirt), Johnson Djarningbul and Clark Bubbuwanga (blue singlet), after a su

Figure 4.2: Mary Makumirri (centre), Mary Yurdubula (second from right), and Mary Malangar (right) take the younger Marrkolidjban women hunting for turtle, 1982.

Figure 4.3: Peter Marralwanga painting Yawkyawk, with his son Johnson in the background, 1983.

Figure 4.4: Peter Marralwanga, with Clark Bubbuwanga and Ivan Namirrkki, painting a representation of a dog at Duruk Ngakmeng (Dog Drowned) in Dankorlo lands, 1983.

Figure 4.5: Barbara Ngalmabbaba weaving a pandanus basket at Marrkolidjban, 1982.

Figure 4.6: Sam Mayalwanga at Kururrkkurduk rock art site, 2003.

Figure 4.7: Rock painting of Kalawan (Sand Monitor) at Kururrkkurduk, 2003.

Figure 4.8: Bill Murrbbunkurla with a Birlmu he had speared on the floodplain at Marrkolidjban, 1982.

Figure 4.9: Peter Marralwanga with a turtle, children and flying foxes at Marrkolidjban, 1982.

Figure 4.10: Peter Marralwanga at Kakodbebuldi, 1982.

Figure 4.11: David Milaybuma and Peter Marralwanga visiting Kudjidmi, a Dankorlo clan site for Yibba, 1982.

Figure 4.12: John Dalngadalnga and Peter Marralwanga at Dakodje, 1982.

Figure 4.13: Rock shelter called Mulaberre on the Darwin-Maningrida road in Djalama Country used by Peter Marralwanga and his family when travelling to Oenpelli.

Figure 4.14: Bark shelter of the traditional kind made to outlast the wet season, 1981-82.

Figure 4.15: Peter Marralwanga and Mary Malangar emulating Nadulmi by holding marrbinjbinj sticks and singing the Wubarr welcoming song.

Figure 4.16: Peter Marralwanga swinging a snail shell rattle once used in Wubarr, Marrkolidjban, 1983.

Figure 4.17: Peter Marralwanga wearing a string headband also worn in Wubarr, Marrkolidjban, 1983.

Figure 4.18: Syd Kyle-Little and Peter Marralwanga, 1983.

Figure 4.19: Marralwanga (far right) sitting with countrymen at Mann River Crossing at the time of Ted Evans's navigating a track from Oenpelli to Maningrida, 1963.

Figure 4.20: Close up of Peter Marralwanga painting Yawkyawk, 1983.

Figure 4.21: Peter Marralwanga at Yelelban, 1983.

Figure 4.22: Peter Marralwanga at Yelelban, 1983.

Figure 5.1: Kay Lindjuwanga painting at Milmilngkan, 2005.

Figure 5.2: Peter Marralwanga with uncompleted painting of Kinga he gifted to his son-in-law, John Mawurndjul, at Mumeka, 1980.

Figure 5.3: Peter Marralwanga and Ivan Namirrkki with their jointly painted work depicting Mandjabu and Nakorrkko footprints at Marrkolidjban, 1983.

Figure 5.4: Obed Namirrkki's Lorrkkon entitled Kunkurra (Willy-Willy), on exhibit at the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in Darwin, 2024.

Figure 5.5: Samuel Mayalwanga painting Kalawan (Sand Monitor) Djang at Maningrida, 2008.

Figure 6.1: Peter Marralwanga during the kunwoning washing ceremony for Mick Mandayngu, Marrkolidjban, 1982.

Figure 6.2: Peter Marralwanga with Crusoe Kurddal during the kunwoning washing ceremony for Mick Mandayngu, Marrkolidjban, 1982.

Figure 6.3: Peter Marralwanga with Wamba sand sculpture made during the kunwoning washing ceremony for Mick Mandayngu, Marrkolidjban, 1982.

Figure 6.4: Peter Marralwanga, Marie-Rosie Dukkalwanga, Philomena and Flora with paintings of Ngalyod and Yibba, and Ngalyod and Yawkyawk, 1982.

Figure 6.5: Peter Marralwanga at Marrkolidjban with his paintings of Ngalyod, and Kinga and Kornobolo at Kurrarrme, 1983.

Figure 7.1: Peter Marralwanga holding a bunch of bloodroot flowers, Haemodorum brevicaule or wirndilk.

Figure A1.1: Genealogy of Peter Marralwanga.

List of tables

Table A4.1: Plain Country locations regularly visited by Marralwanga.

Table A4.2: Rock shelter locations regularly visited by Marralwanga.

Table A5.1: Peter Marralwanga's repertoire of subject matter.

Acronyms

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction

2. Language, Country, clan, personal names, skin names

3. Ivan Namirrkki's story

4. Peter Marralwanga - A life history

5. An artistic family

6. Marralwanga's painting in detail

7. Conclusion

Appendix 1 - Genealogy of Peter Marralwanga

Appendix 2 - Collections, exhibitions and published references to Marralwanga's paintings.

Appendix 3 - Other families associated with Marralwanga's life.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Part of the metadata in this record was created by AI, based on the text of the resource.

ISBN:

1-76046-720-0

OCLC:

1577548026