Dhuwarrwarr Marika

Dhuwarrwarr Marika (born 1946), also known as Banuminy, a female contemporary Aboriginal artist. She is a Yolngu artist and community leader from East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. She belongs to the Dhuwa moiety of the Rirratjingu clan in the homeland of Yalangbara, daughter of Mawalan Marika. Marika is an active bark painter, carver, mat maker, and printmaker.

Early life Dhuwarrwarr Marika, also known as Banuminy, was born in 1946 in Yirrkala, in the East Arnhem Land area of the Northern Territory. She is a member of the Rirratjingu, Miliwurrwurr group and their language is Dhangu. She is part of the Dhuwa moiety. Dhuwarrwarr Marika is the daughter of Mawalan Marika, who was the leader of the Rirratjingu people, one of the contributors to the Yirrkala bark petitions, and the founder of the Marika artistic dynasty. Dhuwarrwarr learnt how to paint from her father, which was unconventional at the time. She learned the art of basketry from her mother and aunt. Her father allowed for her to help him with his painting towards the end of his life, when his health was slowly deteriorating. After consultation with his sons, brothers, and other community elders, Dhuwarrwarr was authorised to paint alongside her father, including the painting of sacred designs. After the death of her father, she took a break from painting and when she expressed interest in continuing, she requested permission from her brothers once again. Her earliest recorded paintings were completed in the 1970s.

Marika has produced murals for community buildings at Yirrkala, for Darwin Airport, the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, and the Atherton School in Queensland.

She has created numerous prints at the Yirrkala Print Space at the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre. At the Yirrkala Print Space, Marika works alongside other female artists. She considers her artwork as a means of passing her culture to the next generations and a way of sharing her culture with the outside world.

As a senior statesperson for her people, Marika has participated in numerous local and national committees. In 1993, she was invited to Europe as a speaker for the opening of the international travelling exhibition Aratjara - Art of the First Australians.

Collections

Marika's work is featured in major public collections across the world, including:

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Berndt Museum of Anthropology at the University of Western Australia, Perth at the Art Gallery of South Australia "Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka: Mittji" (2019), at the Hugo Michell Gallery "Grey Areas" (2017) Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery NYC

Awards 1990: Professional Development grant, from the Aboriginal Arts Unit of the Australia Council for the Arts