Crusoe Kurddal

Crusoe Kurddal (1960/1961 - 2020) was an Aboriginal Australian artist known for his Mimih and Yawkyawk sculptures, and acting roles. Mimih are tall, slender spirits that live in the plateau of Arnhem Land. Kurddal's brother, Owen Yalandja, also inherited the rights to paint Mimih figures, and the two brothers made sculptures of Mimih figures in the vein of their late father's artwork plus sculptures of Yawkyawk figures for ceremonial purpose and for sale.

Artistic career Crusoe Kurddal started his artistic career with Mimih spirits as his primary subject matter.

Later, Crusoe Kurddal switched to sculpting Yawkyawk figures. Yawkyawks are similar to mermaids with the head of a woman and the body of a fish. He carved his sculptures out of wooden poles. Kurrdal made the switch to Yawkyawk figures because he believed they were more easily understood by non-Indigenous viewers as compared to his previous works that depicted sacred ceremonial iconography. Kuningbul's sons talk about their father's carvings by saying that “he made it (carvings) for sale and for shows as well. He used to put it (the carving) in the middle and would dance around it.” Mamurrng ceremonies are traditional ceremonies that celebrate male births. After Kuningbul's death, Kurddal and his brother Owen Yalandja inherited the right to create Mimih sculptures from Kuningbul. Kurddal's 1985 sculpture entitled Mimih Spirit serves as an example of one of Kurddal's Mimih sculptures that continues in the vein of Kuningbul's artwork. Kurddal began to make Mimih sculptures that are significantly larger in scale than his father's in the mid-1980s.

Below is a list of sales generated from Crusoe Kurddal works at auction houses, from 1999 to the present:

Deutscher and Hackett located in South Yarra VIC, Australia sold 5 works for a value sold of $22,132 Deutscher~Menzies sold 2 works for a value sold of $11,845 Bonhams located in Woollahra NSW, Australia sold 1 work for a value sold of $4,880 Mossgreen Auctions located in Armadale VIC, Australia sold 1 work for a value sold of $3,585 Shapiro Auctioneers located in Woollahra NSW, Australia sold 1 work for a value sold of $3,360 Lawsons located in Leichhardt NSW, Australia sold 1 work for a value sold of $2,700

Major artworks Mimih Spirit (2002) Made in Maningrida, this artwork displays the ingenuity of the double figure arrangement which tends to be less common. As for the colouring, Kurddal uses complementary red and black ochre backgrounds for the figures. The sculpture's distinct appearance is a result of the meticulous paint application and precise carving of this piece. The use of contrasting base colours may have been persuaded by his brother Owen Yalandja, who frequently uses a black background on his pieces. The dot patterning comes from the teachings of his father which have been passed down and imparted into Kurddal's work.

Acting roles Even though Crusoe Kurddal was a master woodcarver, he was also in high demand as an actor in the Australian film business. Without the extensive and brokerage services offered to artists, this type of lifestyle would not be feasible. In 2006, Crusoe Kurddal played the leading role as Ridjimiraril in Rolf de Heer's Ten Canoes. It was the first movie filmed entirely using Australian Aboriginal languages and is a moral tale set in Arnhem Land. Ten Canoes was a critically acclaimed film, winning Best Film at the Australian Film Institute Awards and Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Festival de Cannes. Set in Australian Arnhem Land, Ten Canoes narrates a primal adventure story about forbidden love. The narrator gives a story within the story about his ancestors while on a hunt. The narrator describes the great warrior and tribal chief, Ridjimiraril (Crusoe Kurddal), with three wives—one jealous, one clever, and one beautiful. The narrator describes the story as one of Ridjimiraril's wives disappears and Ridjimiraril suspects that a visiting stranger has kidnapped her. He begins on a path of revenge, determined to save his wife. The story continues with all that is to come in his route of vengeance. In addition to Ten Canoes, Crusoe Kurddal has also acted in the movies Australia and Mad Max: Fury Road. He was also a musician who acted and created music for the drama The Sleeping Warrior. Gold Coast City Art Gallery Museum D'Histoire Naturelle de Lyon, France National Gallery of Victoria

Significant exhibitions

1996-97: Gamarada. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 15 Nov 1996–16 Feb 1997