Djon Mundine

Djon Mundine (born 1951) is an Aboriginal Australian artist, curator, activist and writer. He is a member of the Bundjalung people of northern New South Wales. He is known for having conceived the 1988 work Aboriginal Memorial, on display at the National Gallery of Art in Canberra.

Early life Djon was born in Grafton, New South Wales in 1951. He was born 6th of 11 children to Roy Mundine and Olive Bridgette Mundine (nee Donovan). John's father Roy was a union stockman, and Olive's father had joined the first Indigenous Australian political party, the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, in the 1920s. His family was very poor growing up, but he credits his father with encouraging the children to think: "I suppose you're not supposed to talk about sex and politics and religion at the table, but he'd get us to talk about whatever was in the papers." He is the elder brother of former politician Nyunggai Warren Mundine. His family later moved to Sydney in 1963, where he attended Marist Brothers schools in Auburn and Parramatta.

He is a Wehbal man from the West Bundjalung nation, from the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. He is also a descendant of the Yuin people.

Mundine spent his early life in South Grafton. as art and craft advisor at Milingimbi in the Crocodile Islands in 1979, and afterwards as curator and adviser at Bula'Bula Arts in Ramingining, in Arnhem Land, for 16 years. There he conceived of the concept for the famous Aboriginal Memorial, which is on permanent display at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

From 1979 to 1995, Mundine lived and worked in remote Aboriginal communities including Ramingining, Milingimbi, and Maningrida, where he served as an art adviser. He has described this period as formative, likening it to a spiritual pilgrimage that shaped his curatorial vision.

Mundine is particularly well-known for his work as the concept artist and producer of the Aboriginal Memorial. This is a work of contemporary Indigenous Australian art comprising 200 decorated hollow log coffins, offered as a commemoration of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations in 1988; the log coffins represent 200 years of European occupation of Australia. Their design directly references the traditional hollow log mortuary ceremony of Central Arnhem Land, commemorates those Indigenous Australians who died as a result of European settlement. The work was realised by 43 artists from Ramingining and neighbouring communities of Central Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, including David Malangi, George Milpurrurru, and Philip Gudthaykudthay. It was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, where it is on permanent display. Its first exhibition was at the Sydney Biennale in 1988, and it has travelled to various galleries around the world over the years. This led to the inclusion of artists such as Robyn Djunginy in the 1998 Sydney Biennale. They are Meditating: Bark Paintings from the Museum of Contemporary Art's Arnott Collection (2008) was another major exhibition, which consisted of over 200 objects from the Ramingining Collection. He divided the collection between six different environments in the Ramingining area : Larrtha'puy (mangroves), Diltjipuy (forests); Gulunbuy (waterholes); Retjapuy (jungles); Rangipuy(beaches); and Ninydjiyapuy (plains). Mundine honoured the intricate kinship system of Aboriginal culture by using pieces that not only depicted objects in nature, but also represented the histories and social structures of Aboriginal Australia.

In 2008, Mundine created an exhibition called Etched in the Sun. The exhibition was organised held at Drill Hall Gallery in Canberra. It consisted of several fine art prints representing years of collaboration between Aboriginal artists and fine art printers. Artwork made between 1997 and 2007 by Indigenous artists such as Judy Watson, Banduk Marika, and Jean Baptiste Apuatimi were included.

Another exhibition that he curated in 2008 was the Ngadhu, ngulili, ngeaninyagu: a personal history of Aboriginal art in the Premier State. It was held at the Campbelltown Arts Centre, and included work from artists like Brooke Andrew, Bronwyn Bancroft, and Badger Bates.

In 2017, Djon Mundine curated Four Women: (I Do Belong) Double at the Lismore Regional Gallery. Inspired by Nina Simone’s song “Four Women,” the exhibition examined the complex identities, histories, and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Mundine brought together a range of contemporary artists including Karla Dickens, Fiona Foley, Romaine Moreton, and Wart to explore themes of resilience, cultural belonging, and political resistance. The exhibition emphasized the diversity of Blak womanhood through visual art, performance, and multimedia. It challenged stereotypes and celebrated lived experience. In 2020 Mundine won the Australia Council's Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement.

In 2022, Mundine led "The Dabee Family Choir Mural Project." The project originated from the Jimmy and Peggy Lambert Memorial Mural in Kandos Museum. It was created to honour the lives of Jimmy and Peggy, who were survivors of the Dabee Massacre in 1823. For the exhibition, Mundine had over 60 descendants finger-paint Peggy and Jimmy's images.

Mundine has been working on the Dingo Project, an exhibition he curated for Ngununggula, which looks into the spiritual mythology and the history of the ancestral dingoes. The project also features works from artists such as Karla Dickens, Fiona Foley, and Daniel Boyd.

Mundine continues to work as an independent curator of contemporary First Nations art, and as cultural mentor for fellow First Nations artists. He has been working on Ngununggula's second Entry Pavilion Commission. The Entry Pavilion Commission is an annual initiative in celebrating Gundungurra language, culture, and history. The exhibition is set to launch on 22 October 2023 and will be open for the public until 26 November.

Other activities Along with working at the arts centres, Mundine played a significant role in the community and worked with many regional and community-based organisations across Australia. Mundine has always been dedicated to his culture and community, and joined the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) as one of its founding members in 1987. He has also held curatorial posts at several institutions, including the Art Gallery of NSW, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

In 2001, Djon Mundine co-authored "Passion, Rich Collectors and the Export Dollar: The Selling of Aboriginal Art Overseas" with Felicity Wright. The essay critically examines the global commercialization of Aboriginal art, highlighting the tension between gaining international exposure and preserving the cultural integrity of Indigenous Australian works. Mundine critiques how Aboriginal art is often shaped to meet Western expectations, which can lead to misrepresentation and cultural distortion. The piece advocates for more ethical, informed approaches to selling and promoting Aboriginal art on the global stage.

Between 2005 and 2006 Mundine was a research professor at the National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) in Osaka, Japan.

Djon Mundine, as Senior Indigenous Consultant Curator at the Queensland Art Gallery, played a key role in curating and reflecting on the work of Michael Riley, a pioneering Aboriginal photographer and filmmaker. Mundine has written about Riley’s ability to blend personal history, spirituality, and political insight through both photography and film. He highlighted works like Sacrifice and Cloud, noting their significance in expressing internal spiritual struggle and broader Indigenous experience. Mundine’s engagement with Riley’s art contributes to ongoing recognition of Aboriginal artists whose work bridges tradition, identity, and contemporary visual culture.

Known for his sharp and provocative essays, Mundine often blends pop culture with critical commentary, referencing works like Zoolander and Moby-Dick to critique representations of Aboriginal identity and vanity in contemporary art. 2005-2006: PhD candidate at National College of Art and Design 2015: Level 2 winner, Indigenous Project or Keeping Place, for Bungaree’s Farm at Mosman Art Gallery, at the Australian Museums and Galleries Association MAGNA Awards 2016: Best in Heritage Conference, Dubrovnik, showcased entry and finalist, Bungaree’s Farm 2017: Inaugural Power Publications Award for Indigenous Art Writing, for his essay "The Aboriginal Memorial: Australia's Forgotten War". 2020: Red Ochre Award - Australia Council for the Arts

Other roles 2020 Patron, King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary First Nation Art Award 2018 Patron: King & Wood Mallesons Contemporary First Nation Art Prize 2007 Judge: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award 2000 Judge: The Art of Place: The 5th National Indigenous Heritage Art Awards, Australian Heritage Commission 1993 Curator: Bayside Council First Nations Art Competition 1988 Judge: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award 1985-87 Aboriginal Art Adviser, Artbank 1996 Judge: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award

Writings 1992-Tyerabarrbowaryaou : I shall never become a white man / [curators, Fiona Foley and Djon Mundine], published book, Museum of Contemporary Art 1996,2000-The Native Born: Objects and Representations From Ramingining, Arnhem Land - Mundine, Djon; Murphy, Bernice; Rudder, John, published book, Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney, N.S.W.) 2005-Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize - Perkins, Hetti; Mundine, Djon; Munro, Keith; Andrews, Yvette, book; government document, New South Wales 2008-Deacon-structing Destiny Opening talk by Djon Mundine OAM: Twined, on Robyn Djunginy and Karen Mills 2012-Bungaree: the first Australian - Djon Mundine, published book, Mosman Art Gallery 2012- Shadowlife 2014-Whisper in My Mask, Book, Artlink 2014-Aboriginal performance art: How bizarre!, Essay, Artlink 2015-The Aboriginal Memorial to Australia's forgotten war, Essay, Artlink 2015- Bungaree-A Man in Space 2015-Woman on the Dunes, Fiona Foley, Interview, Artlink 2017-The Masque Ball of Tracey Moffatt, Australian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale, Review, Artlink 2017-Lucky Country - Adam Hill aka Blak Douglas, catalogue essay, the 2017 Triennale, NGA 2017-Four Women (I do belong) Double, Catalogue essay, Lismore Art Gallery, pp.6-9 2018-The Road to Bentinck Island: Sally and Her Sisters – Sally and Her Daughters, The Indigenous Story Project 2018-Archie Moore 1970-2018, Review, Artlink 2019-Politico-Magic-Realism, Destiny Deacon, Short Essay 2019-Blak Lik Mi, Blak Queensland Portraits, Cairns Art Gallery 2019-Who Are These Strangers and Where Are They Going, catalogue Essay, Fiona Foley, Ballarat International Foto Bienal 2025: Windows and Mirrors, Art Ink

Exhibitions